Heirs of Berk
by WriterFreak001
Summary: What happens when the person you thought you never would see again, the one who captured your heart overseas, ends up working in the same household you're trying to leave behind? Hicctrid – Modern AU.
1. Different Lives (Part 1)

**WriterFreak001: **

Just so you know, the next chapter for "Prepare for the Storm" is currently in the process of being written. I should be out with a new chapter sometime this month! Hopefully once I finish moving, chapters will be out a lot sooner than they have been. :/

The following story will be a Modern AU based off of the Korean TV Drama, Heirs. If you haven't seen the K-Drama, then you're in for a lot of fun. :)

For the purpose of the story, while Berk is still an island, it's more modern with skyscrapers and urbanization. Berk is the largest urban country/island in the Archipelago in this story.

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**Title** | Heirs of Berk

**Fandom** | _How to Train Your Dragon _

**Description** | What happens when the person you thought you never would see again, the one who captured your heart overseas, ends up working in the same household you're trying to leave behind? Hicctrid – Modern AU.

**Rating**| T

**Disclaimer** | I don't own the HTTYD franchise, but I wish I did. XD

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**Chapter One: Different Lives (Part 1)**

**** HICCUP / LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ****

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When he was sent to America, Hiccup didn't really mind the change of pace compared to his home back on Berk. While he was barely considered a member of his family back home, in America, he was his own family and didn't need to rely on anybody to do whatever he wanted to do. Yes, in his own strange way, he missed his family, mainly his mother – who loved him dearly, but the thought of returning to Berk after three years of barely any contact overwhelmed him greatly.

In America, he was respected by the few friends he had made over the last 1,095 days when his father, cousin and uncle would hardly give him the time of day. Though he made his own choices and didn't have to rely on any authority from home while he was abroad, his father – probably due to his mother's influence – still paid all his expenses and wired over a large sum of money every month to make sure he would never want for anything.

While Hiccup could easily provide his own way with the job he secured through the good graces of Hogarth – a distant cousin of his godfather, Gobber – as a welder, it was nice not to have to worry about mortgage or the electricity bill. Not only did he apprentice under Hogarth for the past three years, but in a way, Hogarth served as Hiccup's silent guardian. The young man lived by himself and did almost everything alone – save for the time he spent with his friends, but if he ever needed an adult for any occasion, Hogarth was on standby.

"Dude! Naraly on the waves, Hic!" Jake – Hiccup's first American friend – exclaimed as he gave the auburn Berkian double high-fives. The strange pair of friends walked along Malibu Beach after a few hours of surfing, ready to grab a bite to eat. "If only I could learn to cruise over those large waves. I swear, man, you could ride a Tsunami and survive. You're _that _good!"

"Trust me. If anybody could surf a tsunami and survive, then they're probably dreaming," Hiccup rolled his eyes, his remark going unnoticed by his spacey friend.

Ever since Hiccup knew Jake, it was obvious the American wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. Jake often annoyed Hiccup to no end with constant stupidity; however, the blonde surfer had a talent of keeping Hiccup distracted whenever his mind started to wander off to unwanted memories of continuous rejection and dissonance.

"I mean, how the hell did you manage to surf through that monster wave as it began curling around you?! That was awesome! You gotta teach me that move." Jake blabbed on, start-struck with Hiccup's _remarkable_ talent to surf inside a standard-sized wave. If Jake wasn't actually high on drugs right now, he'd be able to realize that the oh-so-impressive wave was just a standard tubing wave. Anyone with intermediate surfing experience could have easily surfed through the wave without issues.

"Thanks… I guess…" Hiccup answered with a forced laugh as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Before Jake could say anymore, Libby, the blonde junkie's busty 'Weekend's Only' girlfriend, caught up to them and gave Jake a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek. She hugged him tightly, pressing her large boobs against him – her bright yellow bikini leaving little to the imagination. Jake reached down and swiftly groped Libby's ass before smacking her behind as she yanked him down for a hard and deep kiss, causing Hiccup to shudder at the public display of their affection.

If only the sand could open up and swallow him whole.

Unlike Hiccup, Jake was a very confident, promiscuous young man who had more girlfriends in the last week than Hiccup ever did in his entire lifetime. Hiccup was your average, skinny seventeen-year-old who was splattered with freckles at birth and was cursed with a messy mop of thick, auburn hair. Though he was athletic – to some degree – he wasn't a big fan of sports and never cared about building his body up when his mind was his most valuable asset. Hiccup was far more intelligent than any of his peers and always made top remarks in class. He was a thinker but also a creator. He loved designing new styles of _anything _and enjoyed the intricate details of blueprinting his ideas together. Back home on Berk, Gobber often let him work in the forge and apprentice under him. The Berkian could essentially build anything if he put his mind to it. His designs didn't always work, but the blueprinting and building process never gave him a dull moment. If he could, he would hideaway in his room and do nothing but design and build all day, but his mother wanted him to continue his high school education while overseas, and he didn't have the heart to defy her.

Jake – on the other hand – was the exact opposite of Hiccup in almost every way. Jake was good at virtually every sport, carried muscles like a Norse god and had greasy, blonde, shoulder-length hair that was always tied in a bun whenever he surfed. One of the only few positive differences between the two was that Jake's brain was nothing but a vat of sawdust. Oh, and the fact that Hiccup knew how to use shampoo and conditioner.

Thank Thor.

Hiccup turned back to his friends and cocked his eyebrow when he saw Jake mindlessly reach for the strands on Libby's bikini top before tugging on one of them slowly. Luckily, she was facing the water when Jake flung the material off of her chest. Laughing manically, the blonde dufus raced off into the water with Libby's bikini top, and with an arm covering her breasts, she chased after him, her expression morphing from shock to anger to laughter. As the two lovebirds swam deeper into the water, it was obvious to Hiccup what they planned to do, and he wanted no part in witnessing any more than what was already making his eyes bleed.

Quickly, he marched away and pretended not to know the two rabbits in the water as other people gawked and pointed them out. Hiccup spotted a member of the beach security hustle towards Jake and Libby's direction, and all Hiccup could do was whistle while he walked away, grateful he didn't stick around.

He made his way to his favorite beachside café and took a seat in the usual spot next to the a large window facing the sea. Thankfully, Jake and Libby weren't in his line of sight. After ordering a coffee, he rummaged through his bag and pulled out his blue essay book, the last assignment of the year.

English was the only class he sometimes struggled with – not because he wasn't fluent in the language, but because he sometimes had a hard time piecing together the words he wanted to say in his journal assignments. When the semester began, his instructor gave the class liberty to write whatever they wanted, as long as they were writing entries weekly. The Journal assignment was a way for the instructor to analyze each student's writing style and evaluate any improvement made on syntax and semantics throughout the term. Hiccup decided, because he was far away from home, the best way to share everything he was feeling was to write about it. So, while some students used their journals as travel logs and storytelling, he chose to write an autobiography.

People didn't realize how different Berk was from any other country outside of the archipelago – how the country continued to preserve its Viking traditions along with consisting of a very outdated socioeconomical hierarchical system – especially among students at Berk Island Preparatory. Granted, because of how powerful his father is, Hiccup grew up with the notion that only the strong and rich survive. Hiccup may come from a rich family, but he was never strong in his father's eyes. So, to prove himself to Father Dearest, he started hanging out with Eret – the most popular guy in junior high. They made rules among the students, standards he wasn't proud of executing.

Life in America gave Hiccup some perspective on how he treated his fellow classmates; he realized that no matter what he did, he would never amount to anything in his father's eyes. He could terrorize the entire student body if he wanted, and Stoick 'the Vast' wouldn't care less. So Hiccup vowed to be different whenever and if ever he returned to Berk for the remainder of his high school education.

He had one year left of high school – he could, if he wanted, continue his education abroad, but he knew that the moment he turned 18, his father would demand him to return to Berk for his Coming of Age ceremony. No matter how much of a thorn he was on his father's side, Stoick still valued and honored Viking traditions and wouldn't let their dashed relationship to ruin celebrating Hiccup's ascension into adulthood. But that was just it – Hiccup would be a legal adult, meaning his father could essentially expunge his existence from the family line without guilt, and no one would on Berk would bat and eye.

Except for maybe Valka, his mother.

Hiccup inhaled deeply as he reached down to pull out a pen. After opening up his journal, he smoothed down a clean page and clicked the pen for use before writing everything that was on his mind.

_On the day I left for America, my cousin's farewell was simple, short and to the point. He didn't think I should bother with studying; he didn't think I should learn the English language (even though I was already fluent, much to his dismay); and he thought I should waste my time in California by having fun. _

_I am an intellectual being who craves and enjoys learning. Snotlout knows I'm mentally incapable of 'having fun' when it doesn't include learning about a new topic. _

_I think he wants me to go crazy until I lose my wits. He might be a dummy, but I wouldn't put it past Snotlout to try and plan my downfall. I mean he's already telling me to have fun and not study – two things that could destroy me if I let it. (Not really, probably, but you get the idea). _

_My poor excuse of a cousin also told me not to worry about anything or think about anything. I wasn't even allowed to have dreams. _

_Seriously. _

_That's how awful my life back at home is at the moment. _

_I don't know how I could ever face Snotlout again after that last conversation. He was very adamant about how he felt about me regardless of the strange fact that I still – in my own way – cared about him. If there was any relationship that I wish I could salvage, it would be with Snotlout. As annoying as he was, he was still my cousin, and when we were younger, we were almost like brothers. We did practically everything together. _

_And then my father decided to name Snotlout as his successor to the throne when we were 12. Oh yeah, by the way, by name and title, I'm the Prince of Berk. Probably have never heard of me because our country is tiny compared to America. By birthright, I should be my father's successor, but because I was small as an adolescent, he didn't think I was the right fit – hence Snotlout… Ever since Dad named Snotlout as his heir, Snotlout stopped treating me as his friend. A prince without any claim to the throne is almost as bad as being a commoner on Berk. _

_Berk is old-fashioned that way. _

_The only thing different from Medieval Viking Berk to Present Day Viking Berk is the technology and carpentry skill. Houses were no longer built of wood nor looked like boats as described in our country's archives. Which, hey, since I won't be king and if welding for some reason couldn't work for me, at least I could be the country's Archivist. I am pretty much the only one who has read all of the country's archives from start to finish at least three times. _

_In case you haven't figured it out yet, I had a lot of time on my hands when I was young. _

"_That's what happens when you're born into a wealthy family. And if you can, don't come back" was the last thing Snotlout said to me before I left for my flight. On the way to America, I realized that I wasn't actually being sent to the States to study as I originally thought. Sure, the schooling would be there, but it was obvious now. _

_I had been kicked out. _

_My cousin was already taking back the things he feared I would take from him (when, in all seriousness, they were always mine to begin with). _

_And if I go back to Berk, I wonder just how much more he has stolen from my birthright. _

"Do you want any more coffee?" Ingrid, Hiccup's usual waitress, asked as she waved a carafe to capture his attention.

Hiccup reluctantly closed his notebook and gave the older woman a smile. "Thanks."

"You're from Berk, aren't you." It wasn't a question but a statement of familiarity.

Hiccup's eyes widened with surprise. Most of the people he's interacted with have never even heard of the place. "How did you know?"

"It's where I'm from," she replied with a gentle smile. "You have the Berkian nose," she added with a light laugh.

"The Berkian nose? Is that even a thing?" Hiccup asked with a chuckle, completely unexpecting that explanation. "And here I thought it was the name."

"That was a giveaway, too." Ingrid grinned as she lifted the carafe upward. "There's only one place in the Archipelago that still gives horrendous names to children."

"No kidding," Hiccup smirked as he crossed his arms, wondering if he should tell her what his middle name is. That would be a riot! "When did you leave Berk?"

"Oh, about two years ago," Ingrid replied after a moment of deep thought. "I came here to go to college – but that didn't work out for me, and I couldn't bring myself to go back home when my mother and sister were rooting so much for me to graduate."

"Tell me about it," Hiccup automatically agreed, knowing how it felt to have family with high standards and expectations. "Came here to study per my father's request but sending me to America was his original way of kicking me out. Let's not forget the fact that I've been practically shunned by basically my whole family except for my mom and godfather…"

"The difference between you and me is that I left my family willingly. My mom is a mute so there's very little she can do to make money, and my younger sister was always nagging on me, telling me how I should live my life. So, when I had the opportunity to leave the country, I took it immediately." Ingrid replied with a frown. "I don't care ever to return to Berk; no offense or anything, but as beautiful of a country it is, it's very limited in opportunities." Ingrid placed the carafe down on the table for a moment and crossed her arms, giving Hiccup a pointed look. "You seem smart enough; are you going to exact some sort of sophisticated revenge on your family for treating you like crap?"

Hiccup shook his head with a small smirk. "No… Because even after all the shit they've caused me, I still care for my family regardless. I don't know why… I just do."

_And even if I wanted to exact revenge, I couldn't; As king, my father was untouchable._

Ingrid's eyes widened from his admonition. If she was in his shoes, she'd return to Berk and ruin the lives of everyone involved. Frowning, Ingrid leaned against the chair across from Hiccup. "So, you don't blame them? At all?"

All Hiccup could do was shake his head in finality, not wanting to go deeper into details. Ingrid rolled her eyes, not really understanding why Hiccup wouldn't try to get back at those who wronged him. But, in Hiccup's defense, she didn't need to understand, and he didn't have to explain.

As he continued to ignore her question, she scoffed and grabbed the carafe before marching away to serve the next guest. The Berkian Prince glanced towards the horizon where the sun was beginning to set and heaved a heavy sigh, now wishing he never said anything.

_I understand her frustration, but… to be honest? I'm too lazy to blame anyone..._

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**WriterFreak001: **

I hope you've enjoyed this story so far. The second chapter will be about Astrid's life on Berk. If you're familiar with Heirs, please know that I'm going to use the Korean TV Drama as inspiration, but the storyline will be a little bit different. If you're not familiar with Heirs, I hope you enjoy this story all the same.

Chapter three or four will be when the storyline starts to pick up. 😊


	2. Different Lives (Part 2)

**WriterFreak001: **

There are many scenes in this chapter that should portray the kind of world Astrid lives in. The first scene deals with showing how hierarchical Berk Island Preparatory is, and the following scenes will showcase how hard Astrid's life is.

Also, Heather's character for a while may seem OOC because it's going to match the TV show's character who's a bit possessive of her boyfriend (Fishlegs). But, as the story moves along, you'll see less of that possessiveness because she'll start seeing Astrid as a friend then a rival later on).

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**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Two: Different Lives (Part 2)**

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**** ERET / BERK ****

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Eret Eretson and his buddies, Dogsbreath and Thuggory, snickered as the baseball _almost _smashed into Gustav's nose before it bounced back and landed in Eret's large palms. He tossed the ball again, its hard, round surface smacking just two inches from the poor student's face, causing him to flinch from the near impact. The third throw was even closer.

Eret caught the ball again and chuckled. "Friend! What're you doing this summer break?"

Gustav, still shuddering from Eret's cruel treatment, didn't answer.

Eret then smirked and tilted his head slightly. "I think I'm going to miss you, don't you think?"

Gustav glanced towards him but still didn't answer as he waited for the next attack.

Eret clutched the ball tightly and leaned forward in his chair, intrigued with the younger student's shaking silence. "Are you not going to miss me?"

No answer was given.

"Pity. You really shouldn't have been so mean to me with your silence." Eret's light mood instantly grew to anger as he lifted his arm and threw the ball has hard as he could towards Gustav, the spinning leather of fury smacking hard against Gustav's arm, causing him to groan in pain.

Dogsbreath and Thuggory guffawed as Eret smiled with satisfaction. "I'm sorry, are you hurt?"

Gustav favored his arm and flinched as Eret picked up his rolling ball.

Thuggory sneered and crossed his arms as he turned towards Eret. "Careful Eretson. You suck at pitching; keep it up, and everyone will think we're abusing him." Thuggory chuckled but his laughter fell when Eret scowled at him.

"Stand by the wall," the muscular teen ordered, and Thuggory blanched.

"What?"

"I said, stand by the wall."

Thuggory didn't move as Dogsbreath frowned at Eret. "What're you trying to prove, Eretson?"

"You want to stand there in his place?" Eret glared at Dogsbreath, causing the color to escape his cheeks. He gulped and swiftly shook his head in response.

Thuggory gathered his courage, walked up to the wall as instructed and stood next to Gustav, daring Eret to throw the damned ball. Eret only chuckled before motioning Gustav to come closer. The freshman froze in his place as Thuggory gulped. "Aren't you going to throw the ball?"

"I didn't say anything about throwing it," Eret chuckled with a gleam in his eye. "We have to play fair, don't we?" Eret tossed the ball into Gustav's hands and dragged him to where he was, ordering him to throw the ball at his friend.

Gustav's eyes grew wide, unsure what to do. "But Eret –"

"What?" Eret leaned back into his chair and folded his arms against his chest. "You'll get a beating if you don't throw it, but if you _do _throw it, you'll also get a beating. So, take your pick; you can get a beating with some satisfaction of harming my friend, Thuggory, here, or you can choose to have a beating that's meaningless. It's up to you. Just remember – your choice will only decide who's going to be the one to beat you up." Eret leaned forward again and frowned. "But the bigger fact of the matter is that, no matter what you decide, your life – your meaningless, pitiful, poor excuse of a life – will _always _be like this."

Gustav felt sick and didn't dare move as Eret's smile faded into a glare that made his skin crawl.

"Why, you ask? Because when you grow up, _we _will be your employer. You will amount to nothing just like your poor-ass family. That's all your life will ever be worth, and it's a hard lesson you're going to have to get used to."

Gustav let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in and grew angry at Eret's insult. What does _he _know anyway?! He's never had to live a life of hardship! He's never had to know what it's like to come home and hope your parents still have their jobs at the end of the day. He knows nothing!

Eret could tell Gustav was getting angry, and he smirked. "Choose fast, No-Money. What's it going to be?"

Gustav clenched the ball tightly, his anger seething through his fingers, and before he could stop himself, he aimed the ball towards Eret and threw it as hard as he could, but the ball flew past his target and smashed into a mirror about ten feet away, breaking the glass into thousands of pieces.

As Eret laughed at Gustav's poor attempt to hurt him, Dogsbreath and Thuggory grabbed the freshman and lifted him into the air, preparing to beat him into a tiny pulp.

"Nice try, No-Money. You may be poor, but you still have your ego. Be sure to take care of yourself, Gustav. Health is a very important thing." Eret stood up and stretched before he grabbed his backpack. "Thuggory and Dogsbreath will take good care of you; I gotta go because I'm scared of what they'll do to you." He smirked and then chuckled as he turned towards the door out of the clubhouse. "I'll see you when school starts. Have a great summer." The only sounds Eret could hear was the grunts and groans coming from Gustav as his friends began to punish him for acting out.

Eret smiled. It's going to be a good day.

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**** ASTRID / BERK ****

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"Chicken delivery!" Astrid Hofferson exclaimed as she entered a motorcycle bike shop and rushed to the back as the owner instructed. She quickly placed the box she was carrying on the table in front of one of the workers and said, "It's 55 Runes."

"What's with the five extra Runes?" The worker in front of her asked, frowning. "You want to buy a cookie?"

Astrid shook her head, dug her hand into her pocket and said, "I have change. Just give me 60 Runes."

"Ooooh," the other worker grinned. "You're smart. Are you in high school?"

Ignoring him, Astrid turned to the first worker and said, "The receipt is on the box. It'll show you the price if you're too dumb to believe me."

The employee next to her grabbed her wrist. "What time do you get off work? Want to ride on my bike?"

"No," she said with a pointed look and gritted her teeth. "Just give me the money."

"Come on, don't be shy," was the last thing she heard before she grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it for trying to paw her hip. He twitched in pain, smacking his other hand on the table to forfeit, but Astrid applied pressure and said, "If you don't want your friend to lose use of his hand, I suggest you pay what is due. Don't even think about complaining to my supervisor; he knows your lot and told me to use the force necessary to obtain payment. Now pay up, or you'll have to have your boss hire a new worker and explain why I had to break his wrist. The choice is yours."

Quickly, the money was slapped into her awaiting hand, so she released the worker's wrist and grinned before scampering off without another word, glad she didn't have to cause more damage. They were let off easy; the last group she visited ended up with broken limbs for trying to treat her like a trashy slut. It didn't matter where she worked or what she was doing, because she was a girl, no one was ever going to take her seriously.

After giving the money to her supervisor and collecting her tip for the day, she eventually handed in her uniform once her shift was over and waved goodbye before leaving the restaurant. She hustled down the street to Job #2 just as she did every weekend day. Without greeting her boss hello, she raced to her locker, changed into her barista outfit and shoved her bag inside before arriving at the counter record time. It was amazing how she still had this job with how many times she ended up being late.

Once she was settled, she took a deep breath and composed herself as she smoothed down her clothes to make sure she was presentable. Working three jobs – the other being a part-time combat instructor – wasn't easy and definitely took a toll on her social life, but she made it work because she had to. Her mother worked full-time as the Queen Consort's handmaid, but even working with royalty wasn't enough to support their family. Her mom sent a couple hundred Runes to Astrid's older sister, Ingrid, to support her education in America and saved what little she had left for food, while Astrid worked her ass off after school to save money for college.

Her plan was to leave Berk and never return once she escaped. She would hate leaving her mother behind, but she didn't want to live as a handmaiden's daughter for the rest of her life. She had dreams, big ones, where she would go to a college in America on a full, Academic scholarship and make a name for herself. She didn't know how, yet, but she was tired of living a poor life, and if she didn't leave Berk soon, she knew she would never leave.

As she walked out from behind the register and turned the corner, she noticed her best friend, Fishlegs, sitting at a table, reading one of his textbooks. She rolled her eyes and smirked as she crossed her arms.

"How long have you been here?" She lifted an eyebrow as her friend finally looked up from his book before giving him a genuine smile.

"About thirty minutes," Fishlegs replied earnestly as he stretched his arms. "You were busy making drinks – I didn't want to disturb you."

Astrid blinked with surprise. "You've been here half an hour and haven't ordered yet? What kind of place do you think this café is? A public service business?"

"I'm waiting for Heather. Once she's here, we'll order something together. She's on her way." The husky, blonde teen responded with mirth.

Astrid dramatically rolled her eyes and groaned. "Is this seriously the only café in Berk? Why are the two of you always—" Before she could finish, Fishlegs reveals an umbrella and waves it towards her. She cocked an eyebrow. "Why're you giving me that?"

"It's going to rain when you leave from work this evening. I figured you wouldn't have time to fetch an umbrella from home since you have to leave from one workplace to another," Fishlegs offered with an innocent smile, and Astrid gave him a small grin before taking the umbrella.

"What about Heather?" Astrid asked suspiciously. "If she finds out you gave me an umbrella and made her soak in the rain, she's going to cause me a lot of trouble. I just know it."

Fishlegs laughed at Astrid's expression as he reached behind him and hovered his jacket over his head. "We'll walk home like this. She finds it romantic."

"Gross," Astrid feigned disgust as she turned away from him for a moment. "Just don't do any of that here; I'd rather not have to gouge my eyes out; I need those for my next job."

Fishlegs leaned back into his chair as Astrid took a seat down in front of him. "Hate to say this, Astrid, but you need a boyfriend."

"That's a luxury," she sighed as she crossed her arms and laid her chin on top of her hands. "Every hour I spend not working and without getting paid is a luxury I can't afford."

Fishlegs's smirk instantly fell and casually touched her arm. "How many jobs do you have?"

Ignoring the question, Astrid said, "It doesn't matter; if I'm not working, I'm busy searching for temp jobs on Berk Job Portal, hoping something that pays well pops up. It's the only luxury I can afford."

Before Fishlegs could respond, Heather swiftly barged into the café and exclaimed, "Fishlegs, don't look at her!"

Both Astrid and Fishlegs turned their attention to Heather as she frowned at them. Though Astrid heaved an audible sigh as the two young women met eyes, Fishlegs immediately grinned ear to ear. "Hey." He stood up, grabbed his back out of the chair next to him and gestured for her to sit down.

Heather smiled genuinely at Fishlegs as she took a seat but immediately whipped around towards Astrid and puckered a pouty look. "I thought I told you to stop flirting with my boyfriend."

Astrid leaned forward and squinted her eyes, determined to get underneath the other female's skin. She only tolerated Heather because she was Fishlegs' girlfriend, and for some reason, he seemed to really like her despite Astrid's advice to stay away. "Do I look that pretty to you?"

Heather scoffed. "I didn't say you were pretty."

"That's right," Astrid replied swiftly as she leaned backwards and schooled her features. "You didn't. But we both know that you are _very _pretty. So, stop wasting my time, Heather." Astrid stood up, her knees pushing her chair backwards. She walked around the chair and glanced back at the couple next to her. "Are you both going to order or leave?"

"Wow," Heather scowled with annoyance. "Do you always speak to your customers this way?"

"Actually no, but for you two, I'll make a special occasion. So, what's it going to be?" Astrid really didn't have time to waste on customers. Fishlegs may be her best friend, and if he had come alone, she would have let him stay for as long as he wanted, but Heather _had _to show up. She was one of the most annoying creatures on the planet, but for reasons Astrid didn't understand, Fishlegs absolutely adored that monster of a person.

Heather immediately stood up and grabbed Fishlegs' hand. "Come on, Fishlegs. Tomorrow, you're leaving so let's go somewhere to have some alone time."

Fishlegs glanced at his girlfriend and then awkwardly looked at Astrid before gulping.

"Where are you going?" Astrid asked with curiosity.

"I'm going t—"

"No. Don't tell her," Heather covered his mouth swiftly. "If she knows, then she can correspond. It's better that she's the only one in the dark." She tugged on Fishlegs' hand and began to drag him away, but then she stopped when she noticed something else. "I thought I told you to wear red to stand out when you where white or beige. It's called the Summer Jingle Bell concept."

Fishlegs glanced down to his shoes. "These are red."

Heather's eyes widened when she spotted the shoes herself. "Oh my! No no no no no! Those aren't red! Those are dark red. Now we have to go back to your place so you can change."

As she dragged him away, he only chuckled and shook his head before giving Astrid an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Astrid. I'll text you tonight." He said only to get on Heather's nerves.

"No, you will not!" she shrieked as she pushed past the entrance with Fishlegs in tow. Astrid watched her friend playfully chase his girlfriend away from the café, and she rolled her eyes as she softly smiled.

"Those two are so full of luxury…"

* * *

"Astrid drives me crazy! I hate her so much!" Heather complained as she and Fishlegs started making their way to the movies.

"Can you try to like her even just a little bit? She's my best friend." Fishlegs squeezed Heather's hand, and she frowned.

"Absolutely not – just because you asked! She's poor and looks down at me every chance she can get. She doesn't respect me at all! She knows more about you as a child than I do, and that's so annoying!"

Fishlegs chuckled as he glanced towards his girlfriend. "You know, stressing will make you age faster."

"I can't help it," Heather frowned as she slowed to a stop. "It's not fair! I don't like it how you hang out with her so much! I feel like it's cheating."

"Relax, Heather. Astrid is just my friend. We have been friends for many years so can you trust me?"

Heather shook her head. "Men and women can't possibly be friends!" As she marched away from the husky blonde, Fishlegs chuckled at his jealous girlfriend and then ran off to catch up with her. He knew Heather wasn't as mean as she sometimes appears – she just has really low insecurity when it comes to her relationship because her past boyfriend wasn't very nice. So, whenever she sees Fishlegs talking with Astrid, her insecurity shows through and she often gets defensive. But no matter how pouty she may act; he still loved her craziness.

* * *

On her way home from work, Astrid called her older sister and left a long message detailing everything that's going on in her life right now. She mentioned how she was proud that her older sister was going to college and was able to escape this mess of a life. But as she ended the call, she heard thunder overhead.

"It actually _is _going to rain," she mumbled before fishing for her umbrella. She struggled to get it open, but the clasp wouldn't budge by the time the rain began to fell. Quickly, she ran for cover and hid underneath a store's awning, hoping the rain would be short-lived. She spun around and glanced into the window of the store, seeing beautiful dream catchers dangling inside. Her eye caught a purple one in particular, and she smiled. A sparkle off of one of the jewels caught her attention, and almost instantly, her umbrella opened on its own as if done by magic. Her eyes widened with surprise, but she then swirled the umbrella until it was behind her and then turned back towards the dreamcatcher with a small smile playing from her lips.

At least one thing miraculous could come from today.

* * *

"What's all of this?" Astrid asked her mother when she came home to find eloquent food placed on their kitchen table. She frowned. "Where did all of this come from, Mom?"

Caoimhe placed the last dish on the table and began signing her reply. _'Madame Valka gave it to us. Stop complaining and eat.'_

Astrid crossed her arms defiantly. "She never gives you food to bring home. She's not that generous. Either she was too drunk to eat or didn't like your cooking. I think we both know the real reason this food is here." Her mother scowled. "Do I have to eat it if it came from Madame Valka? I mean, what does she think I am? A trash can?"

'_Who cares what it is,' _Caoimhe signed. 'What could be more important than eating? You think we can afford food like this?'

Astrid gave her mother a blank look. "Is it my fault we can't afford food like this? You can eat all you like. I won't touch it." The young, blonde woman excused herself from the table and stormed to her small bedroom and took a seat on her bed. She turned towards the portrait of herself and her sister before smacking it downward with anger and exhaustion. "I really hate you right now, Ingrid. You were able to leave everything behind and pursue your dreams. I will never have that chance."

She blinked back the unfallen tears welling in her eyes and then sniffed loudly as her door opened. "I'm not eating," she said indignantly. Her mother sat down next to her on her bed and placed an envelope on her lap. Astrid still refused to look. Without warning, Caoimhe smacked her daughter's shoulder to get her attention. Astrid whipped her head around and glowered but didn't say anything.

'I'm sorry,' her mother motioned with her hands, 'I won't bring home food from Madame Valka's home again. What time do you work tomorrow? I need you to go to the bank.'

Astrid rolled her eyes and leaned back against her bedroom wall. "You don't have to go to the bank in person anymore, Mom. There's a thing called Internet Banking these days." But from the warning look her mother was giving her, Astrid sighed in defeat. "Which bank and how much?"

'You can only be sure the money arrives where it should if you give it in person,' her mother replied with her hands, ignoring Astrid's question. 'How else can we be sure the money gets to America?'

Astrid's eyebrows lifted with surprise. "You're sending money to Ingrid?"

'Send all our savings in there,' Caoimhe said in all seriousness.

Astrid opened the envelope and pulled out her mother's bank book. Her eyes popped from the size of the money order. "All of this?! Why? Did something happen to Ingrid?!"

'I want her to buy furniture,' the older woman replied with a small smile. 'She's getting married.'

"Married?! How did I not know about this!? I mean, I'm glad for her, but married?! Wow." Astrid could almost not believe it. Her sister, married? Hah! She'd like to see that happen. Ingrid was never one to settle down for anyone or anything.

'Go to the bank tomorrow and withdraw the money,' her mother ordered again. **'**Afterward, we will use some of it to buy a round trip to America and back so that you can make sure she gets the money. I have her address, but I cannot travel myself in my condition. Not to mention, I can't afford to lose my job. Please do this for me and send my love to your sister.'

A slow smile colored Astrid's lips at her mother's plea. "Really?! You'll let me go to America?! Oh, thank you Mom!" She flew into her mother's arms and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Perhaps today was the best day of her miserable life. She would finally have her freedom.

* * *

And yet, when Astrid went to her third job after her happy moment with her mother, everything came crashing down all over again.

She worked as hard as she could that night, washing as many dishes as she could as fast as she could. She took no breaks and continued to work swiftly even as the restaurant grew busier. But, when she was almost done with the dishes that were currently in the sink, one of the waitresses slammed another full tray of at least a hundred more dirty dishes that needed to be cleaned.

She suddenly paused and stared at the dirty plates; her heart crushed. If her sister was getting married in America, that meant she was never coming back home to Berk. And if she was never coming home, then once Astrid returned from America after the wedding, she would never have the chance to leave again.

If she returned to Berk, she would _always _be washing dishes, serving beverages and delivering chicken for the rest of her life. There would be no more life after high school, no dreams fulfilled, no time to be alive.

Her nose burned as tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. Inhaling deeply, she swiftly recomposed herself and began washing dishes again.

It was decided.

Tonight would be the last night she'd ever work a job on Berk.

As much as she would miss her mother, her future was more important.

So, whenever her mom sends her off to America, Astrid Hofferson swore that she would never look back.

This was the only way she would ever afford to have more luxuries in her life.

Berk will forever be a distant memory.

* * *

**WriterFreak001: **

Next chapter, Hiccstrid will meet! :)

Please let me know what you think!


	3. Different Lives (Part 3)

**WriterFreak001: **

Finally, I updated! :)

* * *

**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Three: Different Lives (Part 3)**

* * *

**BERK * Valka & Stoick ***

* * *

"Darling, when is Hiccup coming home? I miss him." Valka, the Queen Consort said with a tight smile as her husband, King Stoick, slipped into bed beside her. "Don't you think he's been away in America long enough? His 18th birthday will be arriving in no time, and I'd like to have him home before then. You _are _planning on claiming him as your heir to the throne, yes?"

King Stoick sighed loudly as he turned away from her. "I have plans for Hiccup to come home, don't you worry. You know, as of right now, Snotlout is the kingdom's legitimate heir. Until Hiccup marries Princess Camicaze of the Bog Burglers, he cannot legally be my heir. By marrying into a legitimate royal family, he will then be worthy regardless of being conceived out of wedlock. However, only a few people other than you, me and Hiccup know the truth. As long as we keep it that way, there should be no problem excusing Snotlout as my heir and making Hiccup the Crowned Prince. Once he's home from America, we'll be sure to set a date for his wedding – whether he likes it or not. The sooner he's married, the better it will be for all our sakes."

Valka smiled slowly. "As long as he comes home, I will be happy with whatever plan you have in store for him. But… will he?"

King Stoick chuckled softly. "The boy won't have a choice." The large man shifted in the bed and twisted around to face his wife. "He knows what is expected of him, and if he's as smart as his former tutor says he is, then he understands what's at stake if he disobeys."

Valka nodded as she gently caressed her husband's cheek. "Hiccup is a smart boy," she confirmed, proud of her son's gifted intelligence. "And I know he won't let us down. I even encouraged Princess Cami to fly to America and visit him this weekend. She should be leaving for the airport tomorrow."

"Good… He needs to be reminded of what's waiting for him when he returns." The King kissed the Queen Consort's fingers before placing them over his heart. "I will be making arrangements for Hiccup to return in a few weeks before school begins. I think he will be delighted to come home after being away for so long."

"I'm sure he will be," Valka nodded in agreement. "Snotlout won't be happy, though."

"Let me worry about Snotlout. Fortunately, he and his family do not live here anymore so Hiccup won't have to deal with him every single day like he used to. After I make the arrangements, I will speak to my brother and nephew. They will understand, surely."

"Only if Hel freezes over first," Valka muttered under her breath, just barely loud enough for the King to hear. He chuckled lightly as she added, "They know the truth of Hiccup's predicament, and you know the only reason why they aren't saying anything to the press about it is because that knowledge would also shame them as well. However, I don't doubt that they'll continue harassing our son when he returns. Snotlout has always been a pompous ass towards Hiccup when they were younger, and I would hate to see my precious boy bullied by his cousin and uncle again."

"And if they do, they'll have me to worry about. Contrary to popular belief, I did not send Hiccup to the States to be rid of him or kick him out of the house. We agreed that when he reached a certain age, we would allow him to attend private school to help shape him into a respectable young man. However, in middle school, he misbehaved constantly and became the school's leading delinquent – so I had no choice but to send him away. I wanted him to experience independence and learn to figure things out on his own without his parents to foster him.

"I wanted him to see the world and how different it is from Berk so that when he returns, he'll be more than ready to become the Heir. I only want what's best for our son regardless of what people think. Allowing him to experience a different culture on his own should not only help him see why Berk is a proud nation, set in its old, Viking ways, but I hope it also helped him mature a bit more. He's a brilliant, young man, and maybe he was acting out because he had a hard time connecting in school – I don't know, but when he returns, I'll make sure he's taking classes of the highest regard at Berk Island Preparatory. He will be more comfortable there, I'm sure."

"I know what your intentions were, my love. I just hope he does too." Valka whispered softly as sleep had begun to take over her. She gently splayed her hand over the king's heart and pressed her cheek against his right breast.

The king did not reply to his wife as she drifted off into a deep sleep. For a long while, he stared at the ceiling and held his wife in his arms, wondering how Hiccup was faring. He knew he had been tough on the lad before sending him off to America, but when Hiccup was caught stealing from Johann, a local merchant, it had been the last straw. He didn't know what else to do for the boy other than to send him away.

He knew his son didn't want to go – didn't want to leave the comforts of home and had been genuinely scared of living on his own, but Spitelout, the king's brother, suggested that sending Hiccup away would be for the best of the country. But the more King Stoick thought about it, the more he realized that Spitelout only wanted Hiccup away so that Snotlout wouldn't have any competition.

Sometime after Hiccup was born, the King told his brother the truth behind Hiccup's birth, and though Spitelout – for years – tried to convince him to claim Snotlout as his heir, he wouldn't give in… However, when Hiccup was eight years old, a reporter who learned the truth had threatened to go public with the details proving Hiccup's illegitimacy. In order to prevent that from happening, the king had one of his best warriors, Alvin, silently remove the reporter from the face of the earth. After that mishap, Spitelout had finally convinced the king to change his mind, making Snotlout the new heir of Berk.

He publicly made the announcement the following day, claiming that Hiccup was too small of a child to be worthy of the throne. Thankfully, the council and townspeople believed him and didn't consider any other reason.

Now, after many years of dealing with Snotlout as his heir, he really regretted his decision. Snotlout only cared about himself and was as stupid as the north end of a yak running south. He refused to listen in training sessions and couldn't care less about learning different languages for the sake of negotiation. Hiccup – at age 12 – was already fluent in six different languages excluding their native tongue. He was the perfect heir, and because of pressure, the king had just about ruined his son's chances of ever becoming king.

As long as Hiccup's illegitimacy stays quiet, and the King only knew of one way to fix all of their problems – his son's happiness be damned.

* * *

**BERK * Astrid ***

* * *

Astrid returned home from picking up some more notepads for her mother to keep her going for a while and as her mother prepared to make bean powder for Ingrid, she walked into her mother's small bedroom and placed the notepads inside her bookcase. She glanced at her mother and watched her work diligently to grind the dry beans Astrid's earnings have purchased and then slowly smiled with tears in her eyes.

No matter how difficult the task, her mother always worked diligently and never complained about anything. Astrid could tell that her mother's job as the queen's personal maid was tiresome, but not once has she ever heard her mother express anything but respect for the queen.

Sighing, Astrid reached for her mother's latest notebook and flipped it open to a random page, and her heart dropped as she read the words written on the page.

_I'm sorry, my Queen. I will do better. _

Astrid flipped to the next page.

_What would you like for dinner, Queen Valka? _

And the next page.

_Calm down, Queen Valka. I'll refold the laundry and will personally make sure your pillows are fluffed before you retire for the night. _

Astrid closed her eyes and pressed her lips together to keep herself from letting out a sound. Her mother may not be able to speak, but she could hear better than a dog. She hears everything but always keeps quiet.

Oh, how she wish she could hear her mother speak just once.

Astrid's fingers flipped over the page and the tears finally fell down her cheeks, wishing she never opened the damned book.

_Queen Valka wants me to learn English. I don't know the language, but I will try to learn so that I can keep my job. It'll be a difficult task, but for my sweet, beautiful Astrid, I will do anything to make sure she lives as comfortable a life as she can. I know I can't speak, and I know she sometimes doesn't understand why I put up with the queen, but if I'm being honest? I tolerate Queen Valka because I have to. I have to withstand the tough treatment because if I don't, what sort of example would I be setting for Astrid? _

_I want Astrid to grow up and become a strong young woman who doesn't feel limited by anything. I want her to stop working for a while and enjoy life the way she's supposed to be. She's only in high school – she shouldn't have to worry about finances, but because of my disability, because of my inability to provide decently for both my daughters, I've lost one child and the other is fleeting. _

_I wouldn't blame Astrid for leaving permanently. _

Astrid covered her mouth to muffle her cries as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Oh, Mom," she mumbled lowly, her lips trembling. With shaky hands, she picked up the marker and flipped to a new page before smoothing out the sheet. She really hated herself for what she was about to write, but she couldn't handle life on Berk anymore. If she didn't use the opportunity to escape while she could, there would be nothing left. As much as she loved her mother, she hated Berk and everything the damned hierarchy stood for.

Swallowing thickly, Astrid quickly wiped away the fallen tears on her cheeks and lowered the attached black marker onto the page, hoping her mother wouldn't wake before she finished writing her goodbye.

* * *

**CALIFORNIA * Hiccup ***

* * *

As much as Hiccup enjoyed learning, the weekend was always a warm welcome – especially on the mornings he didn't have to go to work. And thank Thor that today was one of those days. After eventually waking up and eating breakfast, he made his way back to his bedroom and climbed into bed before pulling out his class journal. Not wanting to really do anything else, Hiccup located his favorite pen and began writing the words that were on his mind.

_The first thing I had in my mind when I was kicked out to America was, 'At least I had enough almonds.' And for a brief moment, I thought that I should be as rebellious as they would expect from an illegitimate child, but I decided I would instead enjoy my residence here just as my cousin wanted. As a result, there is a cop who's always watching me. I don't know what it is about foreigners and authority, but my charm seems to have worn off on this guy. _

_Because of my grades, I am always the center of attention at school. Maybe it's the accent and my dazzling green eyes, but I don't know… I guess I might never know why people enjoy staring at me like I'm some cool trophy. I just wish people wouldn't stare; it makes me think they know who I really am… _

"Dude!f" Jake busted open the door and held out the removable phone. "Somebody keeps calling your cell."

Hiccup looked up from his journal and extended a hand, muttering thanks when he took the phone. After checking the collar ID, he immediately locked his cellphone and shoved it back into his pocket.

"You're not going to answer it, man? It's been ringing for a while…" Jake cocked his bushy blonde eyebrow and gave Hiccup a curious expression, wondering who the caller was.

Hiccup smirked and shook his head slowly. "Don't need to," he replied as he scrambled to his feet and walked over to his closet. "I know exactly who's calling, and I'm not interested in speaking with her right now. It's my fiancée, and she's either about to get on a plane, on the plane or already here." Hiccup dramatically rolled his eyes and added, "It's our engagement anniversary soon."

Jake blinked with surprised. "Why are you making it seem like your fiancée visiting isn't a good thing? And wait – you're getting married?! Since when? How did I not know about this, dude?"

Hiccup sighed and climbed out of his bed before slipping his notebook underneath his covers to keep Jake from finding it. He shrugged slightly. "Well, this engagement wasn't exactly a mutual agreement; our parents arranged it, and unless something miraculous happens, we have no say. I think she's more invested in this relationship than I am, and so that's why I don't say anything about her… She's the last person I want to marry, and for as long as I can, I'm going to pretend like she doesn't exist. It's the only thing I can do to maintain some sanity around her when she visits."

"Is she that bad?"

"Worse." Hiccup frowned as he grabbed his beach towel and surfer board. "Let's catch some waves before the fiancée crashes the fun, shall we?"

Jake pumped his fist in the air. "That's what I'm talking about!"

* * *

**CALIFORNIA * Astrid ***

* * *

As Astrid weaved through the chaos at LAX, she mumbled common English phrases under her breath and practiced pronouncing her name in a way Americans could understand without the influence of her Berkian accent. As she strolled to the sidewalk outside of the terminal, she turned towards a young woman talking on her cell phone and standing a few feet from her before offering her a small smile as she recognized the woman's Archipelago accent. It wasn't native to Berk, but she recognized that the accent originated from a neighbor island.

"_Yes, of course I'm with him, Mom. He's standing in front of me and his sexier than ever." _

Astrid rolled her eyes and laughed at what she heard when there clearly was no sexy man standing in front of the young woman.

The woman with crazy golden curls and similar blue eyes, however, spotted Astrid laughing at her, she quickly ended her conversation and called out to her. "Hey you." Astrid turned around. "Were you just laughing at me just now? What did you find so funny?"

Astrid feigned confusion and thought quickly, switching to a fluent French accent. _"I'm sorry, but I don't speak your language." _

The woman tsked and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Je suis désolé. Je suis Français. Je ne sais pas ce que tu dis. _I'm sorry. I am French. I do not know what you're saying." _

Curls smirked before frowning. "Si vous étiez français, vous ne vous seriez pas retourné lorsque vous auriez entendu mon accent d'archipel. _If you were French, then you wouldn't have turned around when you heard my Archipelago accent."_

"Je suis désolé," was all Astrid said before spinning around to quickly walk away.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you," Curls called out with disgust, causing Astrid to stop and turn back around. "Why were you smirking at me?"

Astrid rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "I didn't smirk at you. I was just staring earlier because what you were saying wasn't what was happening in front of you."

Curls's lip twitched. "That wasn't an open discussion."

"I wasn't smirking at you," Astrid repeated, crossing her arms. Her frustration fell when she added, "I felt a strange kinship to you… that I wasn't the only one not welcomed here." Astrid lowered her head, feeling slightly intimidated by the blonde woman in front of her. "I'm sorry I pretended to be French. Bye."

Quickly as if her life depended on it, Astrid raced away, hoping the curly-haired woman wouldn't follow.

As she slowed her pace, she eventually found herself approaching a pier. Instead of trying to find her sister, she dragged her luggage bag and strolled along the long deck facing the ocean. She stared out into the deep blue and watched the seagulls fly freely in the distance.

_If only I could feel as free as all of you… _

Astrid let out a flat laugh. "_But that will never happen. Ever." _

Without much else to look at, she sighed heavily and turned around with a heavy heart, not looking forward to seeing her sister at all.

* * *

**WRITERFREAK001: **Thank you for your patience! Please let me know what you think.

Next chapter will feature Astrid and Hiccup meeting. :)


	4. Different Lives (Part 4)

**WriterFreak001: **

Thank you for the reviews so far! :) The full chapter actually ended up being over 6,600 words so I broke it up into two chapters. I plan to post the second half no later than Sunday.

Please note that until stated otherwise, all scenes related to Hiccup and Astrid will be in California for the time being.

Also, there's a lot of language translation in this chapter so anything spoken in English, and anything spoken in the Berkian language is written as normal text. :)

Now on to the story!

* * *

**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Four: Different Lives (Part 4)**

* * *

**Hiccup**

Tammy, one of Jake's other friends, ran up to Hiccup as he trudged out of the water with his surfing board under his arm. With a dazzling smile, she casually bumped his shoulder and exclaimed, "Hiccup! That was amazing! Such a great wave you caught!"

"Thanks," he forced a smile, wishing she would just… disappear?

"Again," she presented a wide grin, oblivious of the chunk of spinach in her teeth, "That was totally spectacular. I couldn't stop watching! I don't know what the other's say, but your surfing skills are far better than Jake's… Do you think you could, um… Hiccup? Are you even—" She noticed he wasn't paying any attention to her and turned around to see who or what had obviously caught his attention. When she spotted the source, she frowned and stomped away.

Hiccup, however, didn't even notice as he peered at the young, blonde woman leaning against the side of the pier. Lovely cerulean eyes were gazing out onto the ocean, filled with so much longing. In all his time in America, he had never seen her before, but for some reason, perhaps it was her clothing – he could tell she wasn't from the United States. He noticed the leather kransen woven into her golden hair and wondered if she was from the Archipelago. Hopefully Berk?

Mesmerized, he subconsciously took a few steps closer, and his heart caught in his throat as he heard her heave a heavy sigh of defeat and watched her shoulders drop. She mumbled something too, too soft before she tore herself away from the rail and dragged her luggage bag away.

He suddenly hoped he would see her again.

* * *

**Astrid**

Oblivious to the eyes following her as she left the pier, she took a second glance at the map of directions she had printed prior to leaving before setting out to find an available taxi. Luckily, she didn't have to wait too long and after giving the driver her luggage, she showed him where she wanted to go, and he nodded before making his way to the driver's seat. Astrid, however, opted to take the back seat as a layer of protection, unsure if her driver was some sort of axe murderer – _though if she had the axe, she would win, for sure._

_But he didn't need to know that. _

Thankfully, the ride to her sister's house wasn't long, and after paying the appropriate fee, she grabbed her belongings and walked up to the small, shoddy house on the corner, frowning as she approached it. "Is it really this house? It's a dump!"

Cautiously, she climbed up the small set of cement stairs and parked her luggage on the patio behind her before ringing the doorbell.

A female American responded. _"Who is it?!" _

Hesitantly, Astrid answered, wondering if her sister possibility lost her accent during her stay in America. "Ingrid? It's me! Astrid!"

The door slowly opened, and a busty brunette in almost nothing but a tight sheer cami and booty shorts blocked the doorway. Astrid didn't know what to say when she spotted the woman's dark pink nipples showing through the thin fabric. The woman didn't seem to notice Astrid's awkward discomfort and rudely, she asked, "_Who?" _

Confused, Astrid inwardly began to panic. "Is this not… Ingrid Hofferson's house?" She bit her lip and muttered, "How do you say that in English?"

"_What are you even talking about?" _The woman frowned, crossing her arms in annoyance. She gave Astrid a onceover and smirked. _"What's a pretty girl like you doing in this shitty neighborhood, anyway? You should be careful in this area; any dumbass looking for a lay will swipe your pretty ass off the streets before you even have a chance to fight. Now get going if you know what's good for you." _

Hardly understanding the woman's reply, Astrid inhaled deeply. She _did not _come all this way to America to give up. "Where. Is. Ingrid?"

"Ingrid?" seemed to be the only thing the woman understood. Astrid swiftly nodded, looking hopeful. "_No idea_." She turned and hollered, "_Chris! Get your ass over here, now!_"

A young man, maybe in his 30s, yawned dramatically as he slowly made his way to the door. He was tying a blue towel around his waist as his eyes fluttered open. Astrid tried to look anywhere else than at the nearly naked man and began flipping through her translation book, hoping to find something that could help her find her sister.

And then suddenly the man spoke.

"Astrid?"

Astrid was led into the home and had to step over empty wine and beer bottles as she made her way inside. While she waited awkwardly in the main room, the couple walked off towards the back hallway and began arguing, though she didn't really know what they were yelling about.

"_How many girls are you seeing right now?!" _the brunette demanded as she pushed the man against the wall, angry. "_And they're coming to your house?!_"

"_I can't stop them from coming to the house!" _

"_Then who the hell is __**she**__?! Are you freaking into kids now?!" _A blatant finger was pointed towards Astrid, and she looked away, wishing she could understand what they were screaming about.

"_Don't be fucking ridiculous. She's Ingrid's kid sister." _

"_Yeah, whatever," _the woman snapped and stormed out just before Chris rose his hand to smack her.

He cursed under his breath and opened a bottle of beer as he made his way to Astrid. As best as she could, she took a deep breath and thought hard on the English words she wanted to say in order to speak to the man. He knew something about her sister, and she was going to find out what happened to Ingrid if it was the last think she ever did. "_You! Ingrid's fiancé?" _

"_Fiancé?!" _Chris's eyes popped open with surprise. "_Hell no. Ingrid and I just live together._"

Astrid blanched. _"Live together?!" _She instinctively switched back to her native language. "You just live together?! Ingrid told us she was getting married! You're not even her boyfriend?! Just someone who… who lives with her?!" Astrid was now fuming. Inhaling deeply, she asked, _"When are you marry Ingrid?"_

"_Marry Ingrid?! Why the fuck would I marry her? Look kid, all she does is fuck me every night so she has somewhere to stay." _Chris chuckled and dramatically rolled his eyes as he turned away to take another swig of his beer.

Clenching her fists with the desire to punch this dumbass in the face, she gritted her teeth and asked, _"Ingrid. University. Where?" _

"_University?" _he shook his head, confused. "_She doesn't go to school." _

Astrid's anger was now bubbling to the surface. Her eye twitched as she processed Chris's response. "She lied about school too?!"

"_What? I don't understand what you're saying," _Chris replied with a frown, but Astrid didn't listen and continued her rant.

"Oh, just wait until I get my hands on her! Fool us once, shame on her but fool us twice?! Tell me where the heck that evil girl is right now!"

"_You're crazy just like your damn sister. Get the fuck out!" _Chris growled as he stood up, grabbed Astrid's arm and violently dragged her to the door before pushing her out and slamming the door in her face.

Astrid couldn't care less as she grabbed her belongings and stormed away from the home, determined to find her sister at all costs.

* * *

**Hiccup**

Hiccup was back at the café with his notebook open, but no words were flowing out of him right now. He had written almost everything he could write for this class, and no matter how hard he tried to come up with something new to right, his mind would go blank. Instead, he opened to a new page and began sketching the image that was on his mind right now… _the girl on the pier. _

She was by far the most beautiful creature to have ever crossed his path, and he couldn't seem to get her out of his mind. From the way her braided, sunshine hair blew in the wind to the lost expression in her deep ocean eyes, Hiccup was enchanted, but he knew, he just knew she would always and forever only be the woman in his dreams.

As he began to lightly shade in the shadows and highlights of the blonde beauty's soft hair, he looked up and glanced at the pier in the distance, wondering if she had ever returned there…

"You're not writing today," a familiar voice commented, and he turned towards the waitress with a smile.

"Not today, Ingrid. I've pretty much finished my writing assignment so now I'm just wasting time doodling." He obliviously covered the sketch with his hand, not ready to show anyone yet. For some reason, he didn't want to share this portrait with anyone. If the blonde Valkyrie was to remain only in his memory, then he wanted to keep the special memory sacred.

"Can I see?"

"Thank you for the coffee, Ingrid." Hiccup changed the subject swiftly, still smiling softly.

"Anytime." Taking the hint, Ingrid nodded and returned Hiccup's grin with one of her own before walking away to tend to one of the other guests.

Sighing, Hiccup returned to his sketch and began to sculpt the shape of the Valkyrie's eyes… those mesmerizing eyes….

For an hour, he was lost in his sketch, drawing every line and shape from memory. But, for some reason, he felt compelled to add two small tears falling down the blonde's cheeks even though there were none in his real memory. He didn't know why he added them, but from what he saw in her gaze, it felt like they belonged… which troubled him greatly.

Needing a break, Hiccup placed his pen down and raised his arms to stretch. He took a moment to glance out towards the ocean, and his heart stopped upon recognition as he spotted the _same young woman _standing a few feet from the café with hesitation and confusion glossed over the sea in her eyes.

It was like she was staring right at him but at the same time, she wasn't. Her lips parted and her eyes lit up when they spotted what they were looking for. Hiccup followed the Valkyrie's gaze and realized she was staring, defeatedly, at Ingrid, the waitress.

It was then that he realized that the girl was the younger sister Ingrid had mentioned the other day. He watched with surprise as one of the men at the coffee bar took out a wad of cash and casually tugged Ingrid's shirt downward and crassly slipped the bills inside her bra as if no one was watching.

Hiccup then turned towards Ingrid's younger sister and could see the anxiety building in her eyes. It was obvious now – Ingrid was not the sister the young woman remembered. Tears welled in her eyes, but they didn't dare fall as she awkwardly stood there, hoping her sister would recognize her. She, however, was obviously not going to say anything.

"_Hey Ingrid. Did you get home safely last night?" _a slender, bearded man asked with a wide smile, and Ingrid grinned with a small nod. _"Why don't you work for me tonight."_

"_Work?" _

"_Work." He brazenly grasped her ass. "You always look your best when you work your night job. What do you say?" _He leaned towards her and slipped a hand underneath Ingrid's shirt before gliding it towards her chest. Ingrid smiled, allowing him to paw her in public. _"I think you would be a great fit for the job." _

Ingrid chuckled and casually placed her palm on the man's crotch, agreeing to work for him tonight. Hiccup, thankfully, remained oblivious of the overdose of PDA happening behind him as he kept his gaze on Ingrid's younger sister. Tears – just like in Hiccup's sketch – finally fell down the blonde teen's cheek, and she quickly wiped it away as more fell.

Hiccup mindlessly grabbed for his drink and took a sip of his iced coffee but did not remove his eyes away from her, afraid that she would evaporate if he chanced looking away.

Ingrid eventually walked up to him with a coffee pot. "More coffee?"

When Hiccup didn't respond, she glanced at him and noticed something caught his attention. She followed his gaze and froze the moment her eyes met _hers_. Immediately, she slammed the pot down on the table, breaking Hiccup's trance. He turned towards Ingrid and noticed the growing anger in her eyes.

Just what did the girl on the street do to anger her?

In seconds, Hiccup watched Ingrid storm away, and he almost thought she was running away when he saw her march towards her distraught younger sister. The Valkyrie immediately spun around as to not let her older sister see her outwardly cry, and Hiccup had to curl his toes to keep himself from running over to console that beautiful, perfect stranger.

"Astrid?" Ingrid called out in a stern voice, causing her sister to wipe her eyes again, calm her features before turning around. "What's going on? What're you doing here?" she paused for a moment. "What about Mom? Is she okay? Is she here? How did you get here?"

Astrid pressed her lips to a hard line before her shaky voice responded. "What about Mom? How could you even think to mention her right now?"

Ingrid scoffed but then forced a small smile. "When did you come? You should have called."

"If I called," Astrid spat, "you wouldn't have told me the truth anyway so why bother. I'm glad I came. Now I know the truth – that you lied to Mom about your fake marriage and dropped out of school because you'd rather screw someone's brains out for rent instead of receiving a decent education!"

Ingrid appeared a little guilty. "Wh-where did you here that?!"

"Who do you think?! Your dumbass of a boyfriend!" Astrid was livid, but so was Ingrid.

"You went to my place?!"

"How else was I going to find you?! I thought you would be there, but I find out that you're prostituting yourself so that you don't have to go to school or pay rent! You said you met a good guy, but your boyfriend or whatever he is, is a violent slob who thinks it's okay to fuck anyone he wants."

"Did he… did he touch you?" Ingrid seemed, for an instant, worried, but when Astrid shook her head, she regained her composure.

"No. Of course not. And if he had tried, I would have kicked his ass. But he did _this_," she showed the bruise on her arm from when Chris had violently grabbed her. "And I saw him almost backhand the woman in his home today when she walked out because she found out he was screwing more than one woman. Which, by the way, you're welcome. You shouldn't have met what you claimed a 'good guy'! You should have waited until you met the perfect guy, you idiot!"

Hiccup continued to watch the argument unfold and when Ingrid didn't have a valid response, she pushed Astrid away and grabbed the blonde girl's luggage bag before ripping it open. She carelessly threw Astrid's belongings out, and as Astrid tried to pick up her nicest clothes from being ruined by the dirt on the road, Ingrid grabbed her arm and yanked her downward. "Did you bring the money?!"

Astrid's shoulders dropped, a sign of defeat. "You're really hopeless now. I was going to abandon Mom… abandon Berk… abandon every damn thing about that gods-forsaken island and leech off of you!" More tears fell. "Karma hurts, you know that?"

"Shut up and tell me where the damn money is!" Ingrid tugged on Astrid's braid, causing the girl to yelp. Ingrid released her sister's hair and began tearing everything in Astrid's luggage apart.

"Stop!" Astrid exclaimed as she grabbed at Ingrid's hands to keep her from doing anymore damage. Ingrid struggled against her. "STOP!" She yanked Ingrid back to her feet as anger boiled in her blood. "Life sucks! You were my dream, Ingrid! You were the last hope I had of leaving our fucking life back on Berk! I wanted to live in America, live with you, and get myself an office job. Some management position where I didn't have to be the one who picked up after every damn person who crosses my path! Do you even remotely know how much harder life has been since you left home?! Do you even know how hard Mom has worked for both our sakes?! And you just throw all her hard work back at her face like nothing she did mattered!"

_SMACK!_

Astrid grasped her stinging cheek and stared in shock. In all their years together on Berk, Ingrid _never _struck her.

"You think you know everything, don't you," Ingrid was seething as she reached for Astrid's braid and yanked on it again. This time, however, she didn't let go, causing the crying Berkian to squirm against the tight hold. "I had no choice but to leave Berk! I was suffocating there! It was hard watching the shine in our mother's eyes dim every single day she worked at that damned job! And I knew that if I didn't leave when I did, I would never amount to anything. I would never live the life I wanted to live because if you weren't born part of the richer society on Berk, then you were better off dead! So don't you dare tell me that I didn't know how hard you and Mom have had it since I left. That's bullshit! Things were always hard!"

When Ingrid finally released Astrid's hair, Astrid pushed her sister back and struck her in the chin. Ingrid fumbled backwards, and Astrid walked over to her and pointed an accusatory finger towards her.

"That may be true, but things got especially harder after you left. With your job as a waitress, it helped immensely, but when you left, I had to pick up two more jobs to take on your slack! I barely get any sleep! I barely have time to eat, and I am always chastised by my friends because I never have time for them anymore! I'm 17, and I've worked more jobs in my lifetime than the gods-damned Prince of Berk!" Hiccup froze at that comment, wondering if she knew who he was, but if she did, she made no indication of it. "So, no! You don't know how hard it is! And because you are nothing more than a failure on this side of the ocean, I have no choice but to go back and accept my fate as Berkian Trash, Next Generation!"

Since Ingrid had no reply, she bent down again and grabbed a folded towel out of Astrid's luggage. An enclosed envelope slipped out, and she grinned as she picked it up.

"What're you doing?! Don't touch that!" Astrid made an effort to grab it, but Ingrid pushed her away and stuffed the envelope under her arm.

"Go back to Berk," Ingrid said with finality. "I will call Mom and thank her for her generous donation."

As Ingrid turned around, Astrid grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't go! Don't you dare go! Mom worked hard for that money, and I'm not going to let you waste it!"

Ingrid forcefully pushed Astrid backwards, but Astrid was quick and jumped to try and grab the envelope again. But when Ingrid struck her cheek again, this time even harder, Astrid was too stunned to move. Tears dripped from her red eyes as Ingrid frowned. "Go back home and never come back. You don't belong in America." was the last thing Astrid's older sister said before she ran off with the money.

When Astrid finally registered that Ingrid was running away, she began chasing after her, screaming and yelling at her, demanding for Ingrid to come back. But when she realized her luggage was still on the ground, and her stuff was everywhere, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and turn back in spite of her desire to hunt her sister down.

Hiccup watched Astrid carefully, wondering if he should confront her, as she fell apart the moment she knelt down beside her luggage. "Ingrid, don't go," she quietly pleaded, her voice filled with so much defeat. "Let me go with you."

Astrid was normally not one who cried in public, but her sister literally tore her hopes and dreams apart, and no matter how much she tried to calm herself down, her heart was broken in pieces, and she wasn't sure how she could cope with the possibility of never seeing her sister again.

Hiccup inhaled deeply as the girl crumbled in front of him. He was so transfixed on her that he didn't realize Jake sitting down across from him.

"_Dude, there's this party tonight that's going to be AMAZING! We're all going, and you should too!" _But when Hiccup shushed him, Jake followed his gaze. And then he grinned widely. _"Oh damn! Hot chick alert! Looks like she could use a night in shining armor! See you later buddy!" _

As Jake scrambled out of the café and made his way towards Astrid, Hiccup inwardly cursed. "Damn that idiot!" Instantly, he slid out of his booth and ran out of the café to chase his friend.

**WriterFreak001: **

All right so I may have kinda lied the last chapter saying that Hiccstrid would meet, but as noted before, this chapter had gotten too long to use as a single chapter so the first interaction will be in the next chapter. I have it already written, but so I don't confuse people on updates, I'll upload the next chapter sometime this weekend. :)

As always, please let me know how you think we did.


	5. Different Lives (Part 5)

**WriterFreak001: **

To the reviewer who wanted to know if I was going to dive deeper into the relationship between Astrid and Ingrid and showcase Ingrid's side of the story, at this point, that's not in the plan… as they don't cover that in the Korean Drama, Heirs. In the actual drama, the main female character doesn't ever reconcile with her older sister and never sees her again. But, I'm open to exploring that possibility later in the story towards the end. We shall see.

To the reviewer who hoped I wasn't copying exactly from the drama, I will let you know that this story will be heavily influenced by the drama, but for obvious reasons, it's not a carbon copy. I have made some slight changes already in the chapters that have already been posted and will continue to deviate from the drama when certain scenes or plot points don't match the HTTYD characters. I know Astrid is a little OOC, but she will grow emotionally stronger as the story progresses, just as the main lead does in the drama.

Anyhoo…

Here's the second part to the last chapter.

Additional note: Because Hiccup and Astrid are going to be in the same location for the foreseeable chapters, I won't indicate whose POV we'll be reading, because it's changing from Third Person, Limited to Third Person, Omniscient. ;)

* * *

**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Five: Different Lives (Part 5)**

* * *

_**RECAP from the last chapter: **_

Hiccup inhaled deeply as the girl crumbled in front of him. He was so transfixed on her that he didn't realize Jake sitting down across from him.

"_Dude, there's this party tonight that's going to be AMAZING! We're all going, and you should too!" _But when Hiccup shushed him, Jake followed his gaze. And then he grinned widely. _"Oh damn! Hot chick alert! Looks like she could use a night in shining armor! See you later buddy!" _

As Jake scrambled out of the café and made his way towards Astrid, Hiccup inwardly cursed. "Damn that idiot!" Instantly, he slid out of his booth and ran out of the café to chase his friend.

* * *

As Astrid visibly wiped away her tears, someone picked up her shoes and handed them to her. "_Are you all right, Miss?" _

Astrid nodded slowly and schooled her features before gently taking the shoes from the kind stranger. She gave a small smile towards the Californian with shoulder-length blonde hair and said, _"I alright. Thank you."_

"_Oh, good," _the stranger grinned widely and moved closer to her before suddenly grasping one of her palms in his. Before she could rip her hand away, Jake grinned ear to ear and swiftly pressed her palm to his heart. _"You're more beautiful than all the chicks I bang. Would you be my girlfriend?" _

Without answering, Astrid twisted her hand out of his strong grip, unsure how to answer as she mindlessly picked up the small bag of wheat flour her mother had prepared and stared blankly at the blonde stranger.

Before she could react, the American reached down and snatched the flour bag away from her, clambered to his feet, and ran off, exclaiming his gratitude.

Immediately, Astrid slammed her luggage back shut and pulled it away from the middle of the street before chasing after him, calling him many insulting names in her native language. As she followed him, a different guy ran past her shouting, _"JAKE! You idiot! Those are not drugs!" _

Astrid ran faster, passing the other runner. and eventually caught up to the thief as he ran into a volley net and fell on his ass. She reached down to grab the bag, but he still had a firm hold on it.

"Give that back, you bastard!" she shouted in her native language, but when she tried to rip it from him, most if not all of its contents exploded and showered over both of them.

Jake grabbed some chunks of powder that landed on his chest and began hungrily tossing them into his mouth. Then, out of nowhere, he began coughing and choking. His eyes widened before he began to convulse, and Astrid just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"_Jake_!" that same voice from earlier suddenly appeared, and its owner was immediately by Jake's side, trying to help him. The one called Jake grabbed the auburn teen's arm as his eyes began to slowly roll backwards. "_Dammit!_" He immediately looked at Astrid and, in her own language, he frantically said, "Hurry! Call 9-1-1!"

"I don't have a cell phone," Astrid replied instantly, but then paused. "You're from Berk?!"

"Do you really think that's important right now?!" He turned back to his friend and tried shaking him awake again. "_Jake_!" When Jake didn't respond, he swiftly searched Jake's pockets and found his phone. Immediately, he flipped it open and dialed for emergency services, hoping and praying that his friend would be okay.

Both Astrid and the other Berkian waited in the hospital waiting room for hours before a female doctor came to see them. _"The patient – Jake – is in shock, caused by an allergy. I guess it was a reaction to the powder?" _

Though Astrid didn't understand what she was saying, the lanky, Auburn Berkian nodded in understanding and replied, _"Ah yes. Wheat."_

Astrid's eyes lit up with recognition. "Yes, yes. It is wheat. Wheat flour."

"I know," The Berkian snapped with a frown, hinting to Astrid to keep quiet. Astrid fell back as he asked, _"Will he be okay?" _

"_Yes," _the doctor nodded with a small smile on her face. _"He's resting right now, but he's been improving and should be able to go home tomorrow. You can visit if you'd like." _

"_Thanks. I will."_

Astrid glanced at the two with confusion, barely understanding anything they were saying. As the doctor left and as the young man began to leave, Astrid casually touched the Berkian's arm and softly asked, "Will your friend be okay?"

"Why do you even care?" he frowned deeply even though he could see concern glossing over her eyes. "You're the reason he's in this mess."

Astrid's snarled from his jibe. "Are you blaming me?! He was the one who stole the powder! It's his own damn fault! If he wasn't already high on drugs—"

"He was only drunk," He defended with a scowl. "If he was really a junkie, he would have been able to distinguish the difference between food and drugs, no matter where the wheat flower came from."

"So, you _are _blaming this all on me!" Astrid was fuming. _How dare he! _"I'm the victim here!"

"And I'm the one who has to take care of this mess." was the last thing the Auburn said before storming off towards the elevator. Astrid groaned and let out a quiet expletive as she grasped her head in frustration, really wishing she could just disappear and pretend this whole stupid trip never happened. But as she recomposed herself, a big man in a blue uniform approached her with a frown and held out an evidence bag with her flour inside.

"_Is this yours?" _

Astrid didn't have to understand English to know what the police officer was implying as he led her outside of the hospital while waiting for her response. She carefully thought of how she could answer the question.

"_It's_… hveitiakr mjǫl…" Astrid paused, realizing he wouldn't know what hveitiakr mjǫl meant. A few minutes later, however, she remembered what the other Berkian said. "_Wheat… Wheat Powder… You know… food? My point is… um…," _Astrid bit her lip to think of the correct words, _"They. Are. Not. Drugs." _

"_Regardless of what you say they are, we're going to have to look into that and make sure you're not lying. What's your address?" _

"What?"

"_Address?" _

"Oh. _Berk. I'm from Berk." _Astrid replied, hoping he would understand.

"_You're a foreigner? I'll need to see your passport." _The policeman frowned. _"You look young. Are you younger than 21?" _

Astrid only recognized one word from his multiple questions and repeated, _"Passport?" _

He nodded so she quickly turned to her bag and dug for it before presenting it to the cop. _"Here." _He took the passport and began writing some information down.

As he gave it a onceover, he then asked, _"Where are you staying in the US?" _

Again, Astrid didn't understand him and frowned, wishing she hadn't opted out of taking English in her previous years of high school. _"More slowly please. I don't understand." _

But before the policeman could reply, an arm sudden wrapped around her shoulders and startled her. "It's okay, Milady." The other Berkian was suddenly smiling at her and combing his fingers through her thick, blonde hair. "_She's my girlfriend and is visiting for vaca…_," his voice trailed when he finally looked at the cop in recognition.

"_Long time no see, Hiccup. Should have known you'd be involved." _The cop grinned ear to ear as the Berkian – whose name was Hiccup? – muttered a curse under his breath.

"_Whatever," _Hiccup scowled, rolling his eyes. _"Doesn't matter my involvement. You know damn well that the contents in that bag aren't drugs." _

"_Even if that's the case, since you're involved, I can't look the other way. I must see this through. Tell your girlfriend that I'm keeping her passport until we can confirm what this substance is." _The cop said as he handed Astrid a business card. _"I'll keep in touch." _

As the cop walked away, Astrid looked at Hiccup for translation, wondering why he's keeping her passport.

"Don't worry. You'll get your passport soon enough."

"When?"

"When the time comes," Hiccup replied with a casual shrug. "Anyway, why are you being so informal with me?"

Astrid cocked an eyebrow. "We're in America. Not Berk. Because you asked that dumbass, overrated question, I assume you're at the higher end of the hierarchy?"

Hiccup shrugged with a small smirk. "Something like that."

Astrid immediately frowned and jabbed Hiccup in the chest. "Look buddy – I may be from the lower end of the hierarchy, but I didn't leave Berk for someone to enforce the rules on me over here. So, you can shove it if you think I'm going to call you anything but your stupid, lame-ass name."

Hiccup tipped his head backwards and pinched his nose in frustration as he let out an annoyed groan. "Look." He locked determined eyes with her. "I want to get out of this dump. You obviously didn't bring a car since you just flew in so where are you staying? I need to know so that I can tell you when the cop calls. You said you didn't have a cell phone, so you won't be able to call him."

"I can borrow a phone if I am desperate enough." Astrid retorted, determined not to let this _Hiccup _bring her down. "My sister lives nearby."

"No offense, but do you really think Ingrid will let you in her home after that hell of an argument?" Hiccup watched as Astrid's shoulders dropped in defeat.

Then she clenched her fists tightly. "I have to at least try… She's my sister. She wouldn't abandon me. I know her. She'll be there." And then an idea popped into her mind. "I was prepared to walk back to her house, but since your friend put me through all this trouble, the least you can do is give me a ride. I'll even pay for gas."

Hiccup chuckled in amusement at the thought of _anyone _paying _anything _for him. Did this girl from Berk really not have a clue whom he is? "You think money can solve everything? Last I heard, you weren't exactly from a rich family on Berk. And there's the fact that your sister stole the money your mother sent… so…, how exactly, will you pay for my gas."

Astrid scowled and lightly pushed him away as she started for the door back inside the hospital. Hiccup followed her inside before taking lead to guide her back to the parking garage. "I might not come from a rich family on Berk," Astrid eventually said in a clipped tone, "but I worked three jobs, so I have my own money. I also don't like charity or pity so that's why I offered to pay for your gas. I'll even pay for your phone minutes if you let me use your phone to call her."

Hiccup smirked as they approached his car and chuckled lightly. "You just love throwing your money in my face, don't you?"

"Actually," Astrid replied a little softly and more honestly, "I figured the only way you wouldn't leave me stranded in an unknown country was if I paid you for your troubles." Embarrassed, she looked away from the other Berkian and blushed a little. "Please… I just need your help a little while longer, and then you'll never see me again."

Hiccup let out a quiet groan before face-palming his forehead. "Fine. Fine. But stop offering to pay for any of my expenses. That's a little weird. Kind, but weird and completely not necessary. Trust me when I say this – I don't _need _your money."

"You must be near the very top of the hierarchy then," Astrid mumbled under her breath and dramatically rolled her eyes as she stopped at the side of Hiccup's black convertible, turned around and leaned against the smooth metal. "I forgot to say it earlier," Astrid spoke softly as her cheeks flamed with slight embarrassment. "but… Thank You."

"For what?" Hiccup cocked an eyebrow as he opened the door for her, gesturing her to sit down.

Astrid slid into the convertible and waited for Hiccup to close the door, walk around the vehicle and situate himself in the driver's seat before continuing. "Thank you for helping me with that police issue a little while ago. I was so close to punching him out of sheer frustration for not being able to understand me…. So, thanks… Otherwise, I would be in bigger trouble."

Hiccup chuckled at Astrid's response and gently tapped his nose. "Between you and me, that cop deserves a good kick in the ass."

"I take it you two know each other pretty well?" Astrid, amused, crossed her legs as Hiccup nodded.

"Yeah… When I first arrived in America, I was an idiot who loved the thrill of getting in trouble. So yeah, our paths have crossed in the past…" was all Hiccup would say so Astrid didn't press for more.

But… she had to ask… "I'm curious…" Her eyes caught Hiccup's, and she smiled. "You look a bit familiar…, but I can't think of why. So, tell me, have we met before?"

Hiccup shook his head and gave her a smile. "I think I would remember meeting a beautiful blonde back home." Before she could react to his compliment, he swiftly leaned towards her, his face mere inches from hers as his hand snuck around her to grab her seatbelt before swiftly wrapping the harness around her and buckling her in. His face, however, lingered a bit longer, his lips almost grazing her cheek. Without moving, he mumbled in her ear, "But beautiful, Milady, would be an understatement."

Astrid's face grew hot as Hiccup immediately moved away, clearing his throat loudly, pretending he didn't just compliment her like that. Astrid, blushing, awkwardly looked away, unable to meet his eyes as he ignited his car to life before speeding away from the hospital.

It was going to be a long drive back to her sister's house.

* * *

Eventually, after fast and furious driving, running red lights and breaking several traffic laws, they finally made it to Astrid's sister's home. Hiccup parked his car to the side of the road in front of the poor excuse of a house and was prepared to help Astrid with her bags, but she was already exiting the vehicle and grabbing her suitcase and carryon bag.

"Eight in the morning. Noon. Three in the afternoon. I will call you at these times every day until you have my passport. You can answer the phone if you have it, but if you don't, then ignore the call. I can't afford to waste my sister's minutes unnecessarily."

Hiccup heaved an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes as he pursed his lips. "This is honestly too much."

Astrid ignored his little jibe and sincerely said, "Thank you for the ride."

Hiccup gave her a small smile. "No problem." Astrid gave a short nod of acknowledgement and then rolled her luggage towards the patio. She left her suitcase on the pavement just before the steps and then climbed the stairs until she was standing in front of the front door. Gently, she pressed the doorbell. "Ingrid!" She waited a beat, but there was no response. She peered over towards the window but couldn't see anything past the curtains.

After a few awkward seconds of standing on the patio alone, Hiccup pushed open his car door and clambered out of his vehicle, catching her slightly distressed expression. "Are you sure someone's home?"

Astrid, down in spirits, nodded, unsure of what else to do. "Someone will be home soon, I'm sure."

"And you're just going to sit and wait?" Hiccup was growing a tad impatient.

"She'll be here." Astrid replied with conviction, though her heart somehow knew Ingrid wasn't coming back.

Hiccup groaned and pushed his hair back, exasperated. "Haven't you heard about the streets at night in America. Not safe. Young, beautiful, sexy, foreign women alone on the streets of America – bad idea. Very bad idea."

"I'm not scared! I can take care of myself!" Astrid rebuked, but Hiccup wasn't done trying to get his point across.

"Do you really think she'll come back after running off with all that money?"

For a moment, Astrid didn't say anything – her face downcast, her heart hurting. "She will be here. She will come back. She has to."

"Fine then," Hiccup replied in an impatient clipped tone, "wait for her. I'm not sticking around, though." He turned away and slid back into his convertible, closed the door and sped off without even saying goodbye, leaving Astrid alone, at night, in America.

With nothing else to do, she hugged her backpack and took a seat on the patio steps, hoping her sister would come home soon. She sat in silence for a few minutes before hearing a bunch of drunken male voices turning the corner. Before she could move, multiple vulture eyes caught hers, and they began closing in on her, laughing, shouting and begging her to go with them.

If there were only three assholes, she could have taken them down. But eight?

Astrid swiftly backed away, using the wall of the patio steps to conceal her from them, hoping they would understand that she clearly wasn't interested. As they cat-called and whistled at her, she hugged her bag tighter.

Thankfully, they didn't come closer and continued walking down the street, but Astrid didn't dare look in case either one of them was still lurking nearby.

After moments of silence passed, she swiftly clambered to her feet and grabbed her luggage bag's handle before quickly walking down the street in the opposite direction. Perhaps Hiccup was right… Perhaps her sister really wasn't coming back…

Astrid had to wonder… would she ever see her again?

As her mind swirled over dozens of thoughts inside her head, she didn't notice the fast wheels coming down the street, but her feet stopped walking the moment the vehicle pulled to a stop beside her. She hesitated at first, worried she had been followed or something, but turned towards the car when nothing else happened.

To her surprise, a pair of familiar green eyes gazed at her, and her heart almost stopped. Calm and stoic, his green irises never left hers as she stood there, dumbly staring at the young man who had just abandoned her to America's mercy.

And without warning, Hiccup smirked. "So… Do you want to come to my place?"

* * *

**WRITERFREAK001: **

**Muahahahahahahaha! Eager for more? Please fave / review this fanfic to let me know! :)**

**This upcoming week will be a little busy so I might not have time to update for a while. **


	6. Different Lives (Part 6)

**WriterFreak001: **

Life has been recently hectic, but I finally found a moment of respite where I could just relax and work on my WIPs. :)

Also, I don't believe I've mentioned it before, but the language Hiccup and Astrid speak in this story is called Berkan. Essentially, it is the shared language of the Archipelago but with a slight Berkian accent. Similar to how we have American English and British English. Same language, different accent. Think Stoick's accent when imagining Hiccup and Astrid's Berkan English accent, if that makes sense. ^_^;

* * *

**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Six: Different Lives (Part 6)**

* * *

_**RECAP from the last chapter: **_

As her mind swirled over dozens of thoughts inside her head, she didn't notice the fast wheels coming down the street, but her feet stopped walking the moment the vehicle pulled to a stop beside her. She hesitated at first, worried she had been followed or something, but turned towards the car when nothing else happened.

To her surprise, a pair of familiar green eyes gazed at her, and her heart almost stopped. Calm and stoic, his green irises never left hers as she stood there, dumbly staring at the young man who had just abandoned her to America's mercy.

* * *

And without warning, Hiccup smirked. "So… Do you want to come to my place?"

Astrid had no answer at first, but she felt like she had no choice. She was out of her element and unsure who to trust in this unfamiliar country, but he _did _help her back at the hospital with that police officer, and he _did _give her a ride to her sister's home when she asked him to… Not to mention that Hiccup might be the only one in California – save for her sister – who spoke Berkan and could translate English for her if ever she didn't understand. She was literally at his mercy, and she hated it.

Astrid pinned her lip underneath the top row of her teeth and sighed in defeat. "Is your place safer than here?"

Hiccup slowly turned away from her and gazed at the steering wheel. Quietly, he replied, "I don't know if it's safer, but my place is definitely better than this dump. So… do you want to go or not?"

She stood silently on the sidewalk for several minutes with nothing to say before she turned back towards her sister's home and watched the front door as if she was waiting for her sister to pop out and ask her to stay… but that wouldn't happen. Astrid was a fool if she thought otherwise.

Dropping her shoulders, she gave in and slowly turned towards Hiccup, her eyes never leaving the ground. Helplessly, she nodded but couldn't will herself to speak. Hiccup unlocked his car, unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed his car door open before climbing out to help her with her luggage. Once her luggage was secure in the back seat, he walked over to the passenger side of his black convertible and swung the door open before humbly bowing. "After you, Milady."

Astrid dragged her feet around the front of the vehicle, Hiccup and the car door before slipping into the passenger seat, completely oblivious to the fact that the Prince of Berk was bowing before her. As she buckled herself in, he closed the door and raced around to the driver's side of the car before clambering in next to her.

Minutes after the car roared to life and began its trek back to Hiccup's home, Astrid finally spoke. "Why did you come back?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Couldn't leave a beautiful lady in distress – especially one from Berk."

"But I'm from the slums of Berk, and you're obviously not…" Astrid locked her arms around her legs to secure her knees to her chest. She pressed her cheek against her right knee and glanced in Hiccup's direction. "Why would you care?"

Hiccup didn't answer right away but after merging onto the freeway, he replied. "I guess it's because the hierarchy doesn't matter much to me anymore. I mean, before I left Berk, it was all I knew; I was taught to respect the hierarchy and only care about those at my level. However, after being sent to America and learning how different life is over here, I realized the hierarchy is an outdated, overrated scare tactic to monopolize the country of Berk.

"The King wants everyone who is lower than him to fear him more than anything else. If they feared him, then no one would dare revolt and show him the error in his ways. Mutiny wouldn't even be considered because of fear. The fear of death. Fear of reputational suicide. Fear of isolation. The King is capable of many things to instill such heinous fear in his people, and when one tries to upturn the hierarchy – pretend to be something they're not – the king will make that one divergent pay severely. And if you ask me," Hiccup flicked on the turn signal before changing lanes to pass the car in front of them, "that's no way to rule a kingdom."

Astrid saw the anger bubbling inside Hiccup as he changed back into the original lane before veering slightly towards the exit lane. Something must have happened that he wasn't proud of… something between him and the King? "You seem to know a lot about the King and his politics."

"Unfortunately," was Hiccup's only reply.

Astrid chuckled softly as she picked up a strand of her blonde hair off her knee and carelessly dropped it down into the car. "I don't even know what the King looks like. We're so poor, I'm not even given that privilege. I accidentally bumped into the Heir one time…, and he wined like a crybaby, claiming I knocked him down on purpose…" She paused for a moment. "My experience encountering the top of the hierarchy was enough to make me hate the monarchy and what it stands for. I hope the future wife of the Heir – whoever she might be – ends up castrating him! That cow!"

Hiccup arched a brow and was grateful she was talking about his cousin and not him. "Trust me, the Heir has it coming…," he smirked. "But… what happened after you bumped into Snotlout?"

Astrid snorted. "Oh, my gods. Is that his name?!"

Hiccup grinned. "Yeah. His parents were less creative than mine. His father's name is Spitelout – brother to the King."

"Gods… his name is almost as bad as his ego." Astrid smirked, causing Hiccup to burst out laughing.

"Trust me, Milady, his ego is far worse. But really," Hiccup pressed gently, "what did Snotlout do after you bumped into him?"

The light in Astrid's eyes faded and so did her smile. She hugged herself tighter. "It was a little over three years ago. I was just about to start my ninth year of school, and when I had a day off from work, I decided to help my Mom at her work. Her employer sent us on an errand, thinking I could help smooth over any communication difficulties Mom might have with impatient merchants.

"While Mom was looking at a set of silk gowns, my eye caught sight of a beautifully, hand-crafted axe on display at the forge. The Blacksmith's apprentice – a nice boy around my age - caught me staring and asked me if I wanted to try the axe out. I don't know why, but for some reason, I decided to tell him why I couldn't afford such a wonderful masterpiece. I thought he would laugh in my face or blank me and begin speaking to the next person in line, but instead, he reached up and grabbed the axe before placing it in my hands, asking me if I could take care of it for him while he's away. When I had asked him where he was going, he shrugged and said, 'I don't know. All I know is that I'm leaving soon and have no choice but to go. So please watch over this axe for me. Anyone who doesn't recognize the beauty of a weapon has no place in wielding one. I know it'll be safe in your hands.'"

The Valkyrie's cheeks flushed a little. "When he gave me the axe, I was so happy and completely speechless. If I wasn't so damned afraid of the repercussions, I probably would have even hugged or kissed him as a thank you…"

Astrid suddenly paused, just realizing that they were already parked in a driveway. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't notice we were already here…" When she moved to unbuckle her seatbelt, Hiccup's hand immediately grasped her own to stop her.

"I want to know what happened next." Hiccup spoke softly, gently squeezing her hand. Her eyes lowered down to his fingers which were still covering hers and lightly blushed as warmth bloomed in her chest.

"W-Why are you suddenly interested in my life?" Astrid asked in defense, unaware of how close he was.

Hiccup had taken off his seatbelt long ago while she was telling her story, but he didn't have the heart to interrupt her… not when she was sharing a story about _him_. He remembered that day very well but before he could stop Snotlout from reacting to an honest mistake, he was escorted away by his father's guards and reprimanded for sneaking out to help Gobber_. _He would have never guessed that the beautiful blonde he spotted three years ago would be the same young woman sitting next to him.

He had to wonder… _was this fate? _

"Because I need to know… I've wondered about it for years," he confessed carefully, not wanting to reveal his other _bigger _secret. "For months, I worried that he might have…," Hiccup inhaled sharply. "Please, Astrid." He mindlessly interlocked his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand again, "I _need _to know."

Astrid was silent for a moment as she studied his features in the dark. _That auburn hair. The dusting of light freckles over his nose and cheeks… The small gap in his teeth… _And then it dawned on her. "Oh, my gods, you're him!"

The Prince of Berk nodded gravely. "I wasn't supposed to be at the forge that day… but Gobber was hungover and somebody needed to be present to sell the weapons… So instead of being a good, obedient son and staying home, I snuck out to help my overseer against my father's wishes. Just after our encounter, my father found me and dragged me back home without warning. Back then, I was a tiny fishbone compared to my dad, so I had no chance of getting away even though I struggled hard to free myself. If I had been physically stronger, I could have tried even harder to stop Snotlout from retaliating… but I never had the chance nor knew what happened afterwards. Please, Astrid, I have to know what happened that day. For my sanity."

Astrid was surprised to see the desperation in Hiccup's lily green eyes, but he only held her hand tighter as if she would disappear if he chose to let go. She sighed softly and nodded, agreeing to tell him the rest.

"As you know, after you gave me the axe, I spun around to show my Mom when my elbow accidently smacked the Heir in the nose as he was passing by. People left and right were crowding around, checking to see if he was okay, and though his nose was bleeding from the impact, he seemed okay. So I began to leave, not knowing who he was at the time…"

Hiccup could see she was struggling to find the words, so he continued from what he remembered. "When I was being hauled away by my father, I saw Snotlout scrambling to his feet and grabbing your arm before forcefully dragging you away from the crowd. I didn't know your name, but I shouted anything and everything I could as I tried breaking free, not caring how many eyes were staring at me. But, like I said, I was too small to win in any battle of strength, so all my efforts were futile. So, anything he did that day… it's my fault. I couldn't stop him."

Hiccup's voice was soft and sincere, comforting in spite of his attitude earlier. And then he asked the inevitable question… "Did he…?"

"No," Astrid shook her head slowly, avoiding the intensity of his gaze. "But he damn near tried. Luckily, I was able to break my arm free from his grasp and jammed the hilt of the axe you gave me between his legs before he had the chance. He doubled over in pain, and I ran to find my mom. Thankfully, she had waited for me, and I escorted her back to work before I ran home, hoping to never encounter the heir again… I had only found out later that he was the heir when I was apprehended by the Berkian Guard that evening and thrown into jail for three days without food and and barely any water to reflect on my actions."

Hiccup was suddenly angry, though Astrid didn't understand why. "They did _what?! _ On what grounds? For defending yourself?!"

Snotlout told the King that he was attached by a young woman from the slums… someone who knew who I was saw me elbow Snotlout's nose and told the King where to find me. After spending those nights in jail, I made a vow to leave Berk one day and never return. I couldn't trust anybody except for my mom and my best friend, Fishlegs. Thankfully, his father – who works for the king – was charged with watching me and made sure Snotlout, or anybody else, didn't try anything during my captivity."

Hiccup sighed loudly and glided his free hand down his face, unsure how to react to Astrid's story. He was grateful that one of _his _weapons had saved this young, beautiful woman's chastity, but it also caused her more issues later when she was arrested for an assault that wasn't her fault. If he was still the heir, if he never was forced to go to America, he couldn't help but wonder if this incident would have happened at all…

Eventually, he asked…. "Are you planning on going back home to Berk?"

Astrid shifted a little, angling herself slightly towards him. "I have no choice. Ingrid abandoned us… I can't do that to Mom… and… my sister was my ticket out of Berk; now that she's unreachable, I have no choice _but _to go home."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, whether you plan to go back home or stay in the States." Hiccup offered with a hint of sincerity. When Astrid's left eyebrow inched upward, his right one did the same. "What?"

"I don't get you."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier tonight, you were hot and cold. At some points, you were nice, and then you were incredibly rude, acting like meeting me was be worst thing ever. You complained I was being too informal with you simply because I'm from a much lower class on Berk. Complete bullshit, by the way. Not to mention that you acted like I had somehow imposed on your precious, prestigious life and made everything for you worse for whatever reason. Even when you came back to pick me up from my sister's house, you were cocky and so full of it… Now you're being nice and considerate. If you say you don't care about the hierarchy, why were you such an asshole earlier?"

Hiccup chuckled as he shrugged before sliding his fingers out of her grasp and unbuckling her seatbelt. "Not all Berkians from the top of the Hierarchy are bad, Astrid. I just have a reputation to maintain around my American friends."

"But you weren't with your friends outside the hospital or outside my sister's home… or even in here… what reason would you have for maintaining your reputation?" Astrid pointed out, suspiciously.

He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned towards her, unlatched the door and pushed it open. "We should get inside."

"Oh. Okay." Astrid hesitated before nodding. Both Berkians climbed out of the car before Astrid let Hiccup lead the way inside his home. When he opened the door, her mouth dropped. "You live here?!"

"Yeah… my parents set it up for me." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head as Astrid went back out to the car to grab her luggage. "Oh, here. Let me get those." He took them from Astrid and then walked across the large, open den towards a door off to the side. "You can stay here." With one hand, he opened the door and pushed it open, letting Astrid walk in first as he turned on the light. It was a cozy room with a bathroom off to the corner. There were two wide sliding doors that led out to the pool from the bedroom with a beautiful beach view. He placed her luggage neatly on top of a chair before turning around to face her. "You can use the toilet if needed, but the shower is broken. So, if you need to clean up, let me know, and I'll show you where the other shower is."

Astrid had a different idea in mind. "Do you mind if I go for a swim in the pool? I need to clear my mind if that's okay."

"I don't mind… I'll turn on the patio lights."

"Thank you." was the last thing Hiccup heard before she closed the door.

* * *

Strings of light illuminated the outdoor pool as Hiccup mindlessly strolled the patio, his eyes trained on Astrid, who was currently on the landline, trying to call her mother. After several attempts, Astrid shot straight up and began pacing the floor as she shared her woes with her mother. Five minutes easily passed before she finally ended the call and placed the phone back onto the charging dock.

Slowly, she spun around towards her luggage bag and began sifting through her clothing. Once she found her TWO-PIECE BIKINI?! swimsuit, she turned her back to the window and curled her fingers underneath the hem of her white shirt before slinking it upward.

Hiccup nearly choked on his own spit as the material of her shirt was peeled off. He scrambled away from the window-doors and darted back inside his home, running straight to his room. After a moment, he swiftly changed out of his surfing bodysuit and shucked on his swimming trunks before making his way back to the patio.

To his dismay, she was already in the pool with her arms resting on the rim.

"Hi," he awkwardly made his presence known as he slowly walked towards her. "Mind if I join?"

* * *

**WriterFreak001: **

We have mostly deviated off of the main plot for the Korean drama. If you're familiar with the drama, you will notice certain similar scenes, but from this chapter forward, it'll be going mostly on its own path. ^_^

Please let me know what you think!


	7. Life in California (Part 1)

**WriterFreak001: **

I am so so so so sorry for delaying this chapter for so long. I cannot tell you how many times I've started writing it only to delete the entire chapter and start all over again. I think I am through the dry spell right now, so hopefully I'll have more updates more often. :D

Anyway, please enjoy!

TRIGGER WARNING: suggestive rape (not Hiccstrid).

* * *

**Heirs of Berk**

**Chapter Seven: Life in California (Part 1)**

* * *

**BERK**

If it wasn't for Gill-Leg's son, Fishlegs, he would have retired from working for the Heir many years ago. Back when he was working for the King, he enjoyed his job and all of the perks that came with it. But after _the Incident, _the King of Berk demoted him to managing Snotlout's affairs. He hated his job so much because the Marquess of Berk didn't know how to lift a finger to handle his own matters.

As the Heir smugly walked through the main castle corridor, Gill-Legs swiftly caught up to him and slowed his pace to match Snotlout's. "Your flight to America has been booked. You leave on the tenth hour, tomorrow morning."

"And my accommodations?"

"Hotel Thor called as soon as I booked your flight," said Gill-Legs as he scrolled down on his tablet to show Snotlout the call history. "They want to know if you'll consid—"

"What? Staying there?" Snotlout let out a loud snort. "As if! "Honestly, does he really think I'm stupid to accept? Just because Eret Eretson Senior, Baron of the East Archipelago, is engaged to Duchess Bertha of the West, he already acts like he's in the line of succession."

"I thought you would say that," Gill-Legs replied with a small smile as he straightened his back. "I had politely refused their offer." Swiftly, he took a few steps towards Snotlout and held out a manila envelope. "This is the guest list for the upcoming family party. There are 51 guests in total, and they will all bring their families." When Snotlout didn't take it, he awkwardly brought the file back to his side and said, "I emailed you a digital copy."

"Then why bother printing hard copies?"

"The King prefers hard copies of all his documents. Which, by the way, I already told him of your trip to America." Gill-Legs pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he awkwardly shifted his feet, feeling Snotlout's anger rise.

"Did you not think I would tell him myself?" Snotlout then jabbed an accusatory finger at him. "Who exactly do you work for? The King? Or me?"

"I work for the royal family," Gill-Legs nodded slowly. "My loyalty lies with the crown."

"It better be, or else I'll have your ass fired faster than you can blink!" Snotlout grabbed the manila envelope from Gill-Legs and stormed away, leaving his secretary behind.

Without much else to say or any reason to follow, Gill-Legs called after the Heir and shouted, "Have a safe trip!"

* * *

Snotlout flared his nostrils as he marched away from Gill-Legs, wanting to punch a wall. He hated when his subjugates underminded him, going directly to the king. It made him feel inferior, like no matter what, he couldn't be trusted to handle anything.

Of course, it didn't always help when the King would always compare his failures to Hiccup's successes either.

"I'm so glad that bastard is finally gone for good!" Snotlout grumbled under his breath as he stomped through the corridor towards his bedroom. When he saw Gretyl, one of the castle's handmaidens, walking out of his bedroom after her cleaning duties, he smirked, now knowing exactly what – or who – he wanted to do to blow off his steam.

Gretyl's eyes widened when she saw him, and she froze with fear, immediately grasping at her heart. It wasn't the first time he had caught Beautiful Gretyl alone in a hallway, and because he's never had the chance to finish anything he started, he realized just how perfect this opportunity was.

The sudden tick of his smirk caused Gretyl to back away from him, and he could tell from the way she looked about the hallway, that she was calculating her escape. Without warning, she started to bolt in the opposite direction, but he managed to grab hold of her long, brunette hair and yank her towards him before opening his door with one hand and dragging her in with the next.

"This is going to be fun," was the last thing he said before slamming his door shut and locking it.

* * *

**CALIFORNIA**

Astrid wasn't exactly sure how to answer as he hovered above her, waiting for a reply. She floated backwards until she hit the edge of the pool and bit her lip softly as his eyes watched her with curiosity. When she didn't answer him right away, Hiccup took the hint and took a few steps back.

"You know I was totally teasing, right?" He forced an innocent smile and pointed behind him. "I'm actually going to soak in the hot tub for a while. So, feel free to do whatever you need to do to reset and recharge."

Astrid watched him turn around and head for the hot tub when she finally found her voice. "This is your home; you don't need permission to do anything."

"Aye, but I do," Hiccup replied with a small smile as he took long strides back to the pool's edge. "You are a guest in my humble abode. And as my guest, I vowed to treat you with the utmost respect. While you're here, my home is your home, and if there's anything you're uncomfortable with, please let me know, and I'll remediate the issue forthwith." As he turned away, Astrid rolled her eyes at his strange chivalry and took a deep breath before diving deep into the pool.

As she swam along the bottom, she couldn't help but think of home and wonder about her mother – how sad she might have been after reading her letter. Though Astrid was able to call her earlier and set things right, she still felt bad for deserting her mother without a second thought.

Quietly, Astrid emerged from the water and drifted to the deep end before resting her arms on top of the pavement. She closed her eyes as she dipped her nose towards the water and inhaled a deep breath, wishing she never left Berk.

She would still be working her butt off to provide for her little family, but at least she would be somewhere familiar and comfortable. At least she would be home with the only person who never betrayed her. _Mom… what have I done? _

Astrid could feel the tears fall and heard them drip into the water below. Her nose burned, and her chest felt heavy. She gripped the sides of the pool as she tried to calm herself down, but everything suddenly came crashing down, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her heart painfully pounded inside her chest, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she focused on trying to draw air, but her body wasn't responding and continued to climb in anxiety.

Her passport was apprehended, and she didn't have enough money to go home let alone what was stolen by her sister. _Oh gods, how was she going to get home? _

Her heart felt like it was jumping into her throat, and she began to hyperventilate. She squeezed her fists and hovered over the side of the pool, feeling the urge to vomit, but the sensation wouldn't come.

She heard the words, "Hey, are you all right?" echo around her, but she couldn't respond. All she could do was focus on trying to breathe, but her strength was waning, and her chest was pounding so hard, it hurt.

"I can't breathe!" she finally managed to cry out as she coughed, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her throat burned as her sobs for air wailed for relief. She couldn't hear the abrupt splash of water or the rapid swimming happening behind her but before her strength waned completely, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her stomach as a soothing voice hummed in her ear, encouraging her to start counting with him. The owner of the arms made it clear that he wasn't letting go, cocooning her in warmth and safety.

She began to feel calm again, her breathing now controlled, and her chest not hurting anymore. She could still feel the stomach acid in her throat and the tears in her eyes, but for the first time in a long time, she felt entirely secure.

Eventually, her host helped her out of the pool and walked her over to the hot tub, thinking the warm water would calm her nerves down. He offered to leave her alone, but as he tried to leave, she reached for his wrist like a little child, not trusting herself to be alone right now. He stepped down into the hot tub and dropped down to a space across from the beautiful blonde, but she moved so that she was sitting right next to him.

He cocked an eyebrow when she grabbed hold of his hand. As she closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, she whispered, "I need to hold onto something that is real; otherwise, I might have another panic attack."

Hiccup didn't say anything at first as he let her move slightly against him to get comfortable, but when she was finally situated, he stared at their conjoined hands and asked, "How often do you have these panic attacks?"

Astrid didn't open her eyes as she answered his question. "I haven't had a bad one like that in many years, but when stress and worry overwhelms me, I tend to react horribly to it. I have since… my captivity." She suddenly squeezed his hand as she remembered the dark, cold nights in the king's jail.

Hiccup covered the top of her shaking hand with his free palm to calm her down once more, and she relaxed almost instantly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. If I had known —" He stopped himself short before he gave his identity away and sighed softly. _If I had known, I would have punched Snotlout myself." _

"This feels nice," Astrid whispered softly, her cheeks warm from the comfortable heat. "Thank you."

But before he could reply, a loud rumble reverberated from the Valkyrie's stomach, breaking their short moment of peace. Astrid immediately blushed and moved away, wrapping her arms around her stomach as if to muffle the sound. Hiccup, amused, wordlessly climbed out of the hot tub and offered her his hand.

"Hungry, Milady?"

* * *

Despite her panic attack from earlier, the rest of the evening seemed to pass by a little more smoothly. While Astrid disappeared from the hot tub to clean off and change, Hiccup cooked a fabulous dinner with a Berk special, Yak Casserole.

"How did you learn to cook like that?" Astrid asked her host before taking a sip of water. "All I manage to do is burn water."

Hiccup chuckled softly as he began to clean up the counter and shrugged a little. "When your parents ship you off to live on your own, you kind of have to learn a few things to survive. Before I came to America, I could barely cook anything. But I always had a natural way of quickly learning skills so after watching a few cooking shows, I was able to understand the basics. Cooking is almost a science, just with edible ingredients."

"Well, however you learned, dinner was really good." Astrid replied with a soft smile, to which Hiccup grinned appreciatively.

He picked her plate up off the table and rinsed it off in the sink before sliding it into the dishwasher. After he put away the casserole and cleaned the pot, Astrid hopped off of her stool, prepared to help him clean up. But before she had the chance, he waved her hands away and shook his head slowly.

"You're my guest. I'll handle the cleanup."

"And this is the 21st century," Astrid rolled her eyes as she tried to reach around him, "I don't mind helping."

Hiccup was surprisingly fast in capturing her smaller hands in his larger ones to keep her from assisting him. He spun them both around until he was pinning her against the counter and asked, "Do I need to zip-tie your wrists together to get my point across?"

"Only if you want me to knee you in the crotch," Astrid bit back with a cocked eyebrow, daring him to make the wrong move.

Amused, Hiccup leaned forward until they were nose-to-nose and slithered his arms past her shoulders towards the sink to turn off the running faucet. "No need," he smirked as he backed away, "dishes are done."

"Wha-" Astrid turned back towards the sink and frowned when the surface was clean. "Oh." She spun back around, but Hiccup was no longer around. She traveled down the nearest hallway and found him lounging on a couch in a large entertainment room. He gestured for her to take a seat next to him on the large white couch in the center of the room.

Astrid slowly walked in, surprised to find so many arcade games surrounding the room. She marveled at the movie posters decorating the walls and then stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the small bowling alley in the closed glassed doors behind Hiccup. _Just how well off is this guy?!_

"I take it you've never seen an Entertainment room this large before, have you?" Hiccup mused as he rose to his feet and made his way towards her. "Is there anything you want to do? It's almost ten so I can understand if you want to go to bed."

She scanned the room once more, and though she was eager to try some of the arcade games & air hockey, she was in fact really tired and knew she shouldn't stay up too late. "Though it seems tempting, I am really tired, now that you've mentioned it. I think I'm going to go to bed now."

Hiccup nodded softly in understanding. Without a word, he walked over to a wall and slid open a concealed door before making his way back to grab Astrid's hand and tug her along with him. After they were inside the hidden corridor, the door behind them slowly closed. Hiccup unknowingly squeezed Astrid's fingers as he tugged her along the dark hallway and said, "I've never shown this secret passageway to anyone else before… It helps getting from one side to another without walking all the way around the mansion, but aside from you, I'm the only one that knows about it."

"That's kind of cool," Astrid replied with an impressed smile coloring her lips. "You could travel here like a ghost."

"In theory yes, but the reason I'm showing you this corridor, is because the room we were just in is my bedroom. The couch converts into a King-sized bed so if you need anything, just travel back through the corridor to get me. It'll be faster than trying to map your way through the mansion."

"Does the corridor have a light?"

"Yes, but I find it fun traveling through the dark."

Hiccup stopped them from walking and turned on his phone light to pull open the door to the other side. After sliding it open, she noticed that she was in the guest room again. Hiccup turned on the bedroom light, and immediately, his eyes caught sight of Astrid's sexy undergarments.

"Oh gods!" Astrid shrieked as she scrambled to put them away. When she showered, she had forgotten that she laid out her favorite lacy bra and thong to wear for the next day. "Just pretend you never saw those," she blushed deeply as she curled a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Can't unsee," came Hiccup's quick reply before he moved towards her with curiosity. "By any chance –"

"Finish that question and you'll be in a lot of pain afterwards." Astrid retorted instantly and walked away to inspect the rest of her guest room.

Thankfully, she didn't hear him mutter, "Couldn't be as much pain as I'm experiencing now…" He was definitely going to need to take a very, very cold shower later.

Astrid was back by his side in now time and lightly punched his shoulder, causing him to groan. "That was for seeing my undergarments."

She combed her bangs back as Hiccup coddled his shoulder and moved a little closer to him. "And this," she muttered as she grasped his cheeks, "this is for everything else." And with very little warning or preparation, Astrid swung her arms around her host's neck and gently pressed her mouth onto his lips, surprising him with a smooch of appreciation.

As she stepped away from him, her arms slid down his chest and rested on his strong arms. Hiccup was too stunned to say anything, so she gently pushed him back towards the hallway corridor. But before she could back away and close the door, Hiccup finally came back to reality and swiftly reached for her wrist before yanking her back towards him. Without saying anything, he kissed her hard on the mouth and softly brushed his tongue against hers, causing Astrid's insides to melt. But before she could wrap her arms around his neck, he abruptly tore his mouth away from hers, uttered a good night and marched away from her, leaving poor Astrid alone, breathless.

It was going to be a super long night for both of them…

* * *

**WriterFreak001:**

**Again, I'm sorry for such the delay. It's been hard finding inspiration to write anything, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. :) Please let me know what you think. **

**By the way, in the U.S., you can now watch Heirs on Netflix. It's known as "The Inheritors." **

Please note that compared to the original series, this story is going by a lot slower. I hope you stick with me until the end!


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